Fly-boy Clarke dwells on positives

DARREN CLARKE heads fly fishing this week, hopeful he’s not far away from landing another Tour victory.

Despite missing the halfway cut in the Malaysian Open, the Dungannon golfer jetted home early this morning from steamy Kuala Lumpur having remained in the city to play a pro-am at the request of sponsors Maybank.

It was the first time this year Clarke had not played all four rounds of a tournament but rather than endure the sauna-like conditions of the capital, he spent much time over the weekend working out in the gym of his hotel.

Clarke admitted: “It was disappointing to miss the cut in Malaysia as I had been playing so well. I thought the way I’d been playing I had a real chance to win the tournament but the heat got to me. It was just too hot.

“That’s one of those things that can happen. It was the first cut I missed for some time and while that was disappointing, I feel the start to my year has been good.

“So if I was grading my efforts so far this year I would give myself an A-minus with the comment ‘needs improving’.”

Clarke’s early season efforts saw him tee-up in Kuala Lumpur lying 21st on the Race to Dubai money list, though he arrives home two spots lower, while he remains 22nd on the European Ryder Cup points table.

Clarke’s Achilles heel has been his putting but he is confident he has turned the corner.

“My putting stats have improved immensely and because I have been playing well, I have been giving myself lots of birdie chances,” he said. “So everything is going in the right direction.”

Clarke remains uncertain what, if any, Major involvement he will have this year.

He admitted: “I don’t know if I am into any Major. I haven’t looked at anything like that nor could I tell you where I am on the world rankings or on the money lists. All I am focusing on is one tournament at a time and besides if I have good results, then that hopefully will take care of the Majors and the remaining WGCs this year.

“The Ryder Cup is still very much in my mind and I want to make the team but I do have to perform a lot better.”

This week Clarke is hosting separate outings at the Queenwood course for sponsors Barclays and TaylorMade while he’s also going to squeeze in some fly-fishing. Clarke will then have his father as a partner in next week’s Hassan 11 Trophy in Morocco.