Clarke shrugs off loss of tournaments

DARREN CLARKE has reacted philosophically to the news that there will be no British Masters or English Open this year and that the Seve Trophy has been renamed the Vivendi Trophy because of the critical state of the world’s finances.

“You’ve got people losing their jobs left, right and centre at the moment,” he pointed out. “We lose a tournament or two, it’s no big deal. There are more important things going on in the world.”

Clarke did well to complete his first round at Baltray yesterday in one under par 71 given that he was two over having played the back nine first. However, he is still far from happy and went so far as to compare his game with that of his 11 year-old son Tyrone.

“I went to watch him play only his second competition for his boarding school the other day and he hit a drive and a three-quarter wedge into four feet at a 400 yards hole for a birdie,” he said. “In fact, I think he’s making more birdies than his old man at the moment. The game is not that bad but I’m not shooting the scores I should be doing.

“I had a lot of chances from 12, 15 feet and only holed one of them on the last. It was good to finish in red figures but we’ve got Co Louth probably playing at its easiest and it’s in great condition. I’ve always loved this place where I won both the Irish Close (he beat Pádraig Harrington in the final) and the East of Ireland but I messed up and it’s very difficult not to lose patience

“I’m working harder than I have ever worked. I’m spending so much time hitting balls, chipping, putting, everything. It is what you have got to do. If your job is no good, you have got to work harder and make it better. I don’t know any other way. Work. Work. Work.”