A tale of two Irishmen

ONE is currently seventh in the rankings, the other 14th, but right now there seems to be a whole world separating Ireland's two challengers in the US Open Championship starting at Shinnecock Hills this morning.

Whereas Padraig Harrington is coming off a tie for the Buick Classic in New York at the weekend and seems to have everything going for him, Darren Clarke missed the cut in the same event and his confidence appears to be at an all-time low.

True, Harrington arrived at this spectacular Long Island venue insisting that his result in the Buick he eventually bowed out at the second hole of the play-off won by Sergio Garcia belied the state of his golf swing. "It was appalling," he repeated time and again to just about everybody's bewilderment. How could you lead a 72 tournament against the world's best if you were that much out of tune with your game!