Clarke: Tiger the best the world has ever seen

DARREN CLARKE last night stood up for Tiger Woods and gave the former world number one a ringing endorsement as a human being and not just a golfing machine with myriad personal problems to solve.

The 14-time major winner hasn’t won a tournament since a string of extra-marital affairs became public knowledge at the end of 2009, costing him his marriage and sending him tumbling to 28th in the world this week.

The American, who has missed the last two majors through left knee and Achilles injuries, could not have asked for a better partner for the first two rounds of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational than Clarke as he returns to action for the first time in three months.