Clarke’s engine cuts out down in Deep South
Clarke brought the curtain down on a six-tournament run in the past seven weeks with a second-round, six-over-par 76 at Atlanta Athletic Club that sent him out of the final Major of the year at 14 over par, following a first-day 78.
Significantly, the one down week in that run came immediately after his maiden Major championship victory in the British Open at Royal St George’s last month and though the celebrations were understandable given his long wait for that big breakthrough, part of the burden of lifting the Claret Jug has impacted his subsequent form.
Clarke, who turns 43 tomorrow, missed the cut at the Irish Open two weeks after his triumph at Sandwich and headed straight to Akron, Ohio, where he opened his WGC-Bridgestone Invitational campaign with a 77, eventually finished tied for 68th in the no-cut tournament.
This week’s effort was merely a continuation of that poor form and Clarke, who will take the rest of August off before returning to action at Crans-sur-Sierre for the Omega European Masters, said: “I hit 25 out of 36 greens and I haven’t had one birdie in two rounds, 71 putts. I just had a nightmare.
Clarke, playing alongside International Sports Management stablemates Charl Schwartzel and Rory McIlroy in the traditional PGA Championship grouping of the year’s first three Major champions, was already in a perilous position following his opening 78.
Starting his second round from the 10th tee, any hopes of a recovery disappeared as he bogeyed the par-five 12th, adding further bogeys at the 18th and second holes.
The 219-yard par-three fourth saw Clarke’s tee-shot claimed by the lake as the Irishman took a double bogey. There was further woe at the par-four eighth.
“The body needs a huge rest and it’s going to get one. It’s been seven weeks in a row basically and I’m done,” Clarke said.
And with that he strode out of the heat, into the clubhouse and off on his holidays.
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