Clarke finds it rough going at Wentworth

Darren Clarke will be at Walton Heath on Monday week doing something he has not had to do since 1995 – taking part in a qualifying event for a major.

Needing a top-two finish in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth to climb back into the world’s top 50 and earn an exemption for the United States Open next month, the Ryder Cup star crashed out on four over par after a second round 76 yesterday.

And it means he has not made a halfway cut in a tournament since the Malaysian Open in early February.

“I’m just immensely frustrated at playing poorly,” Clarke said. “It’s not very enjoyable.

“I am working away, putting in the time and the effort, so it’s as frustrating a period as I’ve ever had.

“I’m not used to it being as difficult as it is right now.”

This was his fifth successive missed cut in addition to pulling out of two events in America and then withdrawing before the start of last week’s Irish Open because of a hamstring strain suffered playing football with his sons Tyrone and Conor.

The qualifying event at Walton Heath is over 36 holes and around 100 European Tour players will probably be competing for fewer than 10 spots at Oakmont.

The last time Clarke lined up in a qualifier was at Ladybank in Scotland before the 1995 Open championship. He made it through then and finished 30th at St Andrews.

This latest missed cut will obviously result in his world ranking tumbling further. He is currently 87th, having been eighth six years ago and 35th at the start of this season.