Clarke enjoys share of lead

Darren Clarke put some trans-Atlantic advice to good use today as he moved into a share of the lead in Smurfit European Open at the K Club near Dublin.

After an opening 67, Clarke rang coach Butch Harmon in Utah. He was just about to take part in a four-man bobsleigh run.

“He hadn’t been watching me on television, but I described the shots and he told me what to work on. I went on the range for about an hour and I’m pretty happy with how it went today.

“I hope Butch survived – I’m going to ring him again tonight.”

Clarke birdied two of his last three holes for a 68 that matched the halfway target set by Ryder Cup team-mate Phillip Price, who did not drop a stroke in his 69.

Another call Clarke made after his opening round was to the wife of US Open runner-up Stephen Leaney, whom he had hit on the head earlier in the day.

“Tracey was okay and I told her she was in good company. The last lady I hit was Jack Nicklaus’s wife Barbara.

“I didn’t see her on the course today, but I said that if she did come out not to stand low and left at about 270 yards.”

Price has not had a win so far this year either and has been feeling down in the dumps about his game. Nor has he totally enjoyed the fame that came with last September’s heroics.

“I need to get stuck in and stop feeling sorry for myself,” he said. “This year’s been a series of what could have beens.

“I keep thinking it’s really going to click, but I’ve not had the success to boost me. My confidence has deteriorated drastically. It takes some repairing and I’ve been a bit flat for the last month.”

Price is still remembered, of course, for his win over then world number two Phil Mickelson at The Belfry but he so wants to move on from that he said he is “sick” of the video of the match.

The pair were a stroke ahead of Scot Alastair Forsyth, who would have made it a three-way tie but for driving behind a tree on his final hole, the 461-yard ninth.

Meanwhile defending champion Michael Campbell had to wait to see if his one over aggregate was good enough to survive.