Irish quartet in the rough in Spain

TWO Ulstermen shot rounds of 73 in yesterday’s first round of the Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

One of them, Darren Clarke, was so disgusted with his performance that he rushed, head down, out of the scorers’ tent and ignored reporters as he made a beeline for the relative safety of the practice range.

Perhaps what looked suspiciously like a shank at the 14th had much to do with his bad mood, for it’s been happening to him all too regularly and invariably with disastrous results.