Clarke leads Irish Wentworth challenge

IRELAND’S challenge for this week’s Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth is led by Darren Clarke, a man with a decent record around the Burma Road lay-out.

However, his prospects of landing the €600,000 first prize would be a whole lot brighter if his putting was in better shape.

Despite producing a 12-under-par performance and finishing third in the Deutsche Bank TPC of Europe, Clarke was a desolate figure at the tournament’s end. He claimed, with considerable justification, that his game from tee to green was of the highest order. When it came to wielding the putter, however, it was a different proposition altogether.

He does not not know why he has lost his touch on the greens and wonders if it is some technical shortcomings or that the variety of putters he is using are not suited to his particular style.

He has flirted with the belly putter in the past and may contemplate using the controversial equipment this week.

“I certainly couldn’t do any worse,” he groaned. In spite of the third place in Germany, Clarke remains 14th in the world rankings, far from the top five position he targeted at the start of the season.

Padraig Harrington remains in 8th place after the weekend although his runner-up spot has appreciably bridged the gap to Jim Furyk in 7th and stretched his advantage over Chad Campbell and Retief Goosen.

It can’t be long more before he overtakes Furyk who will not defend his US Open title next month due to a wrist injury. There is speculation that the problem may cost him his Ryder Cup berth in September.

Harrington, of course, is a high profile absentee at Wentworth where the other Irish challengers are Paul McGinley, fit again after the knee injury that kept him out of the TPC; Graeme McDowell, Gary Murphy, Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane and David Higgins.

The latter qualifies for his first regular Tour start of the year as the leading player on the IPGA Order of Merit in 2003.

Incidentally, McDowell brings the number of Irish exempted directly into the British Open Championship at Troon in July to four having scraped through in a “mini qualifier” involving the Italian Open, British Masters, Asian Open and TPC tournaments. McDowell missed the cut in Germany, but his win in Italy was the decisive factor.

Clarke, Harrington and European Amateur champion Brian McElhinney are also straight through to Troon, but there are still a variety of means by which McGinley and the others can still make it.