Clarke makes bright start

Darren Clarke made a flying start to his final round of the SAA Open in Durban today.

The Irishman climbed into the top 10 with three birdies in the first five holes, moving him to six-under for the tournament.

His surge may have come too late, given that scores are expected to be low all day, but it should at least allow him to raise a good sum for victims of the South Asian tsunami, with Clarke having pledged all his prize-money to the disaster fund.

Clarke needed an eagle on the 18th hole of his second round to make the cut, but a 67 yesterday fired him up the leaderboard.

Birdies today at the second, third and fifth allowed him to continue in a similar vein.

Clarke’s Ryder Cup team-mate David Howell, along with fellow Englishmen Neil Cheetham and Graeme Storm, were looking to fend off a quartet of South Africans in the race for the title.

Howell matched Clarke’s 67 on Saturday, and resumed his round alongside Cheetham on six-under, while Storm began on eight-under – one behind the local quartet of 2002 champion Tim Clark, Hendrik Buhrmann, Titch Moore and Tjaart van der Walt.

Howell picked up a shot early on to move to seven-under, the same mark Storm fell back to with two bogeys and a birdie in his first three holes.

South African Des Terblanche added three birdies in his first six holes to move up to six-under.

Swede Martin Olander was in the process of an exceptional round, being five-under for the day through 15 holes to move him up from his overnight score of even par.

Defending champion Trevor Immelmann’s tournament challenge looked to be over.

A double-bogey five on the par-three second dropped him back to two-under.