Clarke wary of dangerous course

Darren Clarke will look to build on his impressive opening of 67 at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City when he tees off in the second round today but accepts that, with the course playing as difficult as it is, he cannot expect a repeat performance.

Clarke, on five under, and American Jim Furyk, a shot behind, were the only two players in the 12-man field to card bogey-free rounds.

With six players failing to break par the Gary Player Country Club is obviously providing a test and Clarke is wary of slipping up.

“It is unbelievably tough. This was my first time I had seen the changes and they have certainly toughened the course up. It has a lot more demanding shots,” he said.

“Every hole you have got to really commit to what you are doing. If you do not it is very easy to just knock it into the rough and then you get a flyer from there and all of a sudden you stand at double, not just bogey.

“You have a game plan you have to stick to it.”

Clarke’s game plan yesterday was to keep on the fairway and it certainly paid off with five birdies – helped by just 26 putts.

He began by picking up a shot at the par-four third and also birdied the 450-yard eighth and long ninth to turn in 33 before further back-to-back birdies at the 13th and 14th saw him edge ahead of Furyk for the outright lead.

“It is a long way to go before you get to Sunday but if I play the way I played for the next three days I will be very happy,” added the Ulsterman. “Whether I win or not is another thing.”

England’s Luke Donald is two under after a round of 70, level with South Africans Retief Goosen and Tim Clark.

Goosen, the defending champion, had five birdies and three bogeys, which was better than compatriot Ernie Els whose first competitive round since the Open at St Andrews in July included three birdies and three bogeys for a level-par 72.

Els, who has slipped one behind Goosen to fifth in the world rankings because of his injury-enforced absence, was making his long-awaited comeback from knee surgery in the summer after a water sports accident.

“I played some decent stuff here and there but I can definitely play better than that,” said the three-time major winner.

“I have got to play better obviously but I am not feeling very despondent. I could have been worse and am I not out of it.

“If I get my bearings together I can shoot some low ones. I am looking forward to that.”

On his first round back from injury, Els said: “There was a bit of anxiousness going into this round and it is gone, done and dusted, it is history now and it will never come back.

“I can just look forward to the rest of the week.”