Leaders Clarke and Bjorn put friendship aside

Thomas Bjorn rates Darren Clarke as one of golf’s top strikers of the ball, but it was the Dane who shone brighter today and now has the chance to deny Clarke victory in the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

The 35-year-old, already the winner of the Irish Open this season, fired a third-round 66 to the 71 of clear overnight leader Clarke and they go into the closing 18 holes tied for the lead on 11 under par.

Two behind in joint third are Scot David Drysdale, England’s Benn Barham and Argentina’s Andres Romero – an unlikely trio to say the least in an event boasting four of the world’s top 10 and eight of the top 20.

Clarke is seeking his first victory on European soil for four years – and one that would be applauded by everybody in the sport because of his wife Heather’s current cancer battle.

“It’s difficult to talk about and it’s for Darren to talk about,” commented Bjorn, who says his former Ryder Cup partner is capable of a level of play that most others “can only dream of”.

“I am there for him as a friend. We are great friends and it extends way beyond golf.”

The pair were partners at The Belfry in 2002 and on the opening morning produced a spectacular 62 in the fourballs to beat Woods and Paul Azinger. They know what each other are capable of.

They have good records on this course as well, Clarke finishing runner-up two of the last three years and Bjorn capturing his first European tour title 10 years ago.

“It has a huge place in my heart and always will have,” he commented. “Any pro will tell you that their first victory is the most special one because it sets you on the way.

“All the players enjoy coming here, though, and design-wise I don’t think we play a better venue. When it’s like this (sun shining and hardly any wind) it’s spectacular.”

He had four birdies in an outward 33, then picked up further shots at the 13th and 18th after starting the day joint seventh.

Clarke was going smoothly enough when he birdied the fourth and sixth to remain three ahead, but the rest of his round comprised two birdies and two bogeys.

Clarke bemoaned his putting more than anything - certainly more than the jet-skier who distracted him for a while on the front nine.

“He was peeing me off, but let him have a bit of fun – he was enjoying the weather just like us.”

On his misses on the greens he said: “I’ve got to close my eyes or get some glasses or something. I had an opportunity to put some distance between me and the rest of the field and I didn’t do it.

“I hit some poor shots and made some silly mistakes. The bogeys on 15 and 17 were very poor really.

“Yes we’re friends, but Thomas will be trying to beat me as much as I will be trying to beat him.”

Barham, Drysdale and Romero still have hopes of the £400,000 (€581,010) first prize, of course, but if they cannot catch the two stars ahead of them there is one spot in next week’s Open to fight for too.

And Drysdale, playing on a sponsor’s invitation, can resurrect his tour career after losing his card by one shot last year and then failing to come through the qualifying school by one shot.

Joint first round leader, the Dunbar golfer stayed in the hunt with a 69, while Barham shot a best-of-the-day 65 and Romero a 68.

Ernie Els moved up from 29th to 10th with a 67 – but his frustration that he was not right in the thick of things was almost boiling over.

On the eve of an Open championship he is so looking for – he won an amateur event at Hoylake back in 1988 – Els was as unhappy as Clarke with his putting.

“That’s the way I’ve been playing – and the way I’ve been scoring.

“The positive is that I’m moving in the right direction. The negative is that 67 should have been 62. Make your own conclusion there.”

Asked if the frustration was growing he stated: “You can see that. I am a competitor and I am not going to lie to you. I want to win when I play.

“It gets to you. But I’ve just got to keep going. It sounds crazy, but I’ve got to keep going and hopefully it happens.”

The South African, without a win this year and down to eighth in the world from second before his sailing accident and subsequent knee surgery last season, was on the leaderboard when he went to the turn in a five under 31.

Even that could have been better, though, and he had to try to keep a lid on his temper when he bogeyed the short 11th and then was plugged in a greenside bunker at the long 11th, failed to get out first time and took six.

Colin Montgomerie’s 69 put him on six under and joint 14th, the same as Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and American Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, who shot 66 after making the halfway cut by the skin of his teeth.