Clarke targets return to top 10

Irishman Darren Clarke has targeted 2005 as the year he returns to the top 10 of the world rankings and he begins that bid at the SAA Open in Durban tomorrow.

Clarke is the big name at the Royal Durban Country Club and he is looking to build on his season-ending victory at the VISA Taiheiyo Open in Japan late last year.

Since that win, events in Clarke’s life have taken a more serious turn with wife Heather battling against cancer but her improvement in recent weeks persuaded him to open his season in South Africa.

He has pledged to donate all his winnings from the tournament to the Tsunami Disaster Fund but what the world number 14 is really interested in is rising back up the rankings.

“I want to get back into the top 10 as quickly as possible and take it from there,” Clarke said.

“If I get back into the top 10 then I will have been playing well enough generally so I don’t want to talk about specific goals or tournaments.

“But I will obviously have to play well somewhere to get back into the world’s top 10.”

Clarke has found a new burst of enthusiasm after a “stunningly average” 2004 and that in part is down to his wife, who has already shown her determination in fighting her own battle.

“She is fine at the moment. She just underwent her third bout of chemotherapy last week and she is battling well and doing as well as can be expected,” he added.

“She is a very strong person and all the results that we have been getting so far have been very good.

“Hopefully she is on the road to recovery. She was fully behind my decision to come and play here and I wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t.”

Clarke positive outlook and determined focus may just suit in the heat and humidity of the Rainbow Nation’s seaside playground destination.

His romance with South Africa has blossomed with his development of Pinnacle Point, a golf course near Mossel Bay – an hour’s flight from Durban – and although that has allowed him to mix business with pleasure on this trip, Clarke knows he will have to be on top form this week.

“The last time I was here this golf course beat me up twice so I thought I would see if I could take another punch, or maybe give one out myself,” he said.

Clarke will face some stiff opposition this week, with defending champion Trevor Immelman going for a hat-trick of victories after picking up the 2003 and 2004 titles at his Erinvale home.

Immelman said he was “excited” at having the chance to make history with a possible third successive victory and highlighted accuracy as the key to success.

“You will need to hit the ball very straight here,” he explained.

“If this wind blows here that makes the first five holes probably one of the toughest starts in golf.

“If you can get off to a good start and just build your confidence from there and keep the ball in play, you can give yourself a chance – but the key is to keep it in play.”