Mixed start for Clarke

Ryder Cup star Darren Clarke enjoyed mixed fortunes to his first competitive start of 2005 in the SAA Open in Durban.

The Irishman cut short last season after his wife Heather was diagnosed with cancer but following positive reports on her health he returned to action today determined to pick up where he left 2004 – with a victory.

Clarke had little time to enjoy the win at the VISA Taiheiyo Open in Japan in November because of his wife’s illness but a new year has brought renewed focus and he has targeted a return to the world’s top 10 in 2005.

That certainly showed today as, after bogeying the 10th – his first hole - he registered three birdies between the 13th and 16th to go to the turn at two under.

However, he bogeyed the 387-yard par-four first to drop into a tie for 10th.

Clarke was eclipsed by Hartlepool’s Graeme Storm, a double winner on the Challenge Tour last season but who has never tasted victory in his five years on the European Tour.

At the turn he held the outright lead on five under but after slipping back to four under was overtaken by South African Titch Moore.

Italian Francesco Molinari was also one shot off the pace on four under while Germany’s Marcel Siem dropped two strokes around the turn to go to one under.

Sheffield-born veteran Malcolm Mackenzie made a surprise appearance near the top of the leaderboard as his three under after 11 holes was good enough to lift him to third.

Clarke’s Ryder Cup David Howell tees off later today as does home favourite Trevor Immelman, who is bidding for a hat-trick of SAA Open titles.

The 25-year-old South African won the tournament for the first time at his home Erinvale Golf Club in 2003 – beating Tim Clark in a play-off – and returned to the same course last year to repeat the triumph with a three-shot victory over Scotsman Alastair Forsyth and England’s Steve Webster.

Now he will attempt to become the first player in nearly four decades – and only the fourth in history – to win golf’s second-oldest national open three years running. The last man to achieve the feat was his idol and fellow South African Gary Player between 1965 and 1967.

“Obviously it was a fantastic moment for me to defend the title,” said Immelman.

“The South African Open title means a lot to me, or to any South African golfer and to have my name on that trophy twice is something I’m very proud of.

“You will need to hit the ball very straight here.

“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.”