Losing pounds, gaining air miles

DARREN CLARKE has answered the critics who think he lives for the good things in life to the detriment of his golf.

Globetrotter Clarke rarely has a moment to himself.

His recent itinerary eads something like this: the season ending Tour Championship on the US circuit then followed by business commitments in Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Johannesburg; the Nedbank Sun City Challenge; this week the Hong Kong Open; next week it's the beginning of Tiger Woods's Target Challenge in California.

A three week break for Christmas is followed by the Mercedes Championship and the Sony Open, both in Hawaii, in the first fortnight of January. Okay, so he travels first-class (frequently by private jet) and stays in the very best hotels, but that is still an exhausting schedule.

Keeping a close and protective eye on it all is Clarke's business manager and friend Andrew (Chubby) Chandler.

"Barclays Capital are Darren's main sponsors and that is why we're in Asia for much of the last three weeks," he explained. "But there's a lot more to all this travel. While in South Africa we finalised a deal to co-design a new course called Pinnacle Point near Mossel Bay with a South African architect Pete Matkovich. Pete played on the European Tour in the 1970s and is also a close friend of Gary Player.

"Darren is very keen to get into golf course design and we hope to sign up for a project in Dubai shortly.

"They want it to resemble a links and with all that sand, we should be able to oblige! He's also designing a course at Ballyna in the Moy Valley, about a half hour from The K-Club."

People may wonder what Darren Clarke knows about golf course architecture but Chubby Chandler provides an explanation.

"He has played enough worldwide to know what is good and bad about golf holes," Chandler maintained. "He goes around with his eyes open and has lots of ideas one being, on his courses par threes will not exceed 200 yards.

He will not just lend his name to a course. He will have a serious input and intends to be proud of his designs."

His deal at Pinnacle Point includes a luxurious house and Clarke will use it on regular basis. He likes South Africa and has spent leisure time there over the years. There is already a hotel and casino on the site and the golf course will make the resort even more attractive to investors. The owners, conscious of increasing Irish interest in South Africa, are also keen to have a direct link with his country. They see Darren as an outstanding ambassador.

Clarke pays his first visit to Pinnacle Bay in January. It's hoped to have nine holes ready in early 2005 and the full 18 later that year. Chandler laughs when pointing out that Gary Player has something like 217 designs to his credit and that Darren won't ever be quite that busy!

There is also one highly significant physical change in Clarke he has lost 25 lbs thanks to fitness coach Steve Hampson: "It's Lennox Lewis kind of training," quips Chandler. Darren spends an hour and a half in the gym each morning and watches his diet. He accepts that unless he is in good physical condition, he will not achieve his greatest goal to capture a major championship.

Many will be surprised Clarke is playing this week in the Hong Kong Open, a tournament offering a modest prize fund of US$750, 000, especially when it means yet another stint away from Heather, Tyrone and Conor back in Surrey. However, even a cursory glance at the high quality of the field (Clarke, Padraig Harrington, KJ Choi, Jose-Maria Olazabal, Nick Faldo et al) provides the answer.

"They have been very clever," agrees Chandler. "If they had put up a big prize fund and not paid any inducement money, they would probably have an average field. Instead, they have kept the purse down and made it attractive for the top players to come.

"On top of that, one of his targets is to get back into the top ten in the world before the end of 2003 and this is the last counting tournament for him. He would probably have to win it to move up a spot but he's prepared for the challenge."

Although Clarke intends to play sufficient tournaments in the States to remain a regular card holder on their tour, his schedule for 2004 will be the same as this year except for the two early tournaments in Hawaii.

Around this time last year, he changed just about everything caddy, golf clubs, golf ball. It worked and that regime is likely to stay in place.