Clarke ready for Florida but admits indifferent form

On paper Darren Clarke’s build-up to two of the biggest weeks of the golfing year looks good.

A fourth place in South Africa, then a sixth, a third and an eighth on the US Tour ought to have the Irishman's odds for the Masters in a fortnight tumbling.

But as he prepared for today’s first round in the Players Championship in Florida – golf’s richest event and often referred to as the unofficial fifth major – Clarke was brutally honest.

“Somewhere between average and poor,” was his summation on the state of his game. “I am going to have to spend a lot of time on the range and hopefully find something somewhere.

“I am just struggling a little bit at the moment.”

And when asked what precisely he was looking for, Clarke added: “To find the golf ball closer to the middle of the clubface.”

To that end the Ryder Cup star, currently ranked 16th in the world, has turned to old coach Pete Cowen for some help.

“I have asked him a couple of things because I have been a little bit lost. We’ll see.”

Such a search is nothing new for Clarke, whose career has been packed with peaks and troughs, but who knows that things can suddenly click into place.

“I am not so hard on myself now,” comments the 36-year-old from Dungannon. “I realise that I am not quite firing on all cylinders now and I will just go out and play and add up the numbers at the end of the week. Hopefully it won’t be too bad.”

However well or badly he plays the likelihood is that Clarke will be noticed.

For whatever reason he has joined the group of golfers who think they are in the fashion industry as well as the golf world.

Some outrageous outfits reached their apex – again some might say their nadir - with an orange and red ensemble in Orlando on Sunday.

“I refer to it as style,” Clarke said. “Do you want to see guys wearing khaki and white or somebody a little bit different? I think people want to see more to us than just playing. I think it brightens it up and makes it a bit of fun.”

There is, Clarke reveals, one pair of trousers he has that will never be shown in public, but will “gather dust” at home.

“They are like 70s disco – a sparkly silver with a black stripe down the side. I am just waiting for a fancy dress party one of these days.”

Masters champion Phil Mickelson has not gone down that road yet, but jokes: “I can’t criticise because Amy (his wife) has got pairs just like them.

“I think it’s cool that guys use dress to stand apart. I don’t mind it - unless I’m paired with them!”

In today’s first round Mickelson was playing with Nick Price and Stuart Appleby, neither of whom should shock him.

Tiger Woods is the first of the “Big Four” into action, 20 minutes ahead of Mickelson at 7.50am, but starting on the back nine.

Ernie Els and world number one Vijay Singh are among the afternoon groups.

Meanwhile Padraig Harrington, Europe’s top hope after two runners-up finishes in the event and a first US tour victory two weeks ago, has an 8.20am tee-off time, but whether the Dubliner makes it through the event or plays at the Masters is open to doubt because of the health of his 72-year-old father Paddy.

He is fighting oesophagus cancer and it was only because he asked his son to play this week that Harrington flew across the Atlantic.

“I certainly didn’t want to come,” said the world number six, who has already pulled out of next week’s BellSouth Classic in Atlanta.

On the Masters he comments: “Unfortunately there is a chance I could miss it. I don’t want to and my intention is to come.”