Clarke feeling at home at KLM Open

Darren Clarke describes the Kennemer course in Holland as one of his favourite venues – and he might like it even more tomorrow night.

A year after winning the KLM Open by four Clarke went into the third round today joint leader with Sweden’s Peter Hedblom.

Nobody has made a successful defence of the title since American Bob Byman in 1978, but the remarkable thing about Clarke’s effort is that he has not had a single top-10 finish since his victory 12 months ago.

“I’m trying to remain as patient as I can even though I’m going through a period of great frustration,” said the 41-year-old from Northern Ireland.

“I’ve been playing OK, but throwing in a bad round and it’s a lack of confidence more than anything. It’s always nice to come back to a place where you’ve done well before, though.”

As he did last year, he has his sons Tyrone and Conor to take his mind off things away from the course – and he has also started working again with Belgian sports psychologist Jos Vanstiphout.

“I’m still as excited as ever about trying to play well, I’ve not eased off on my workload and I’m looking for a particularly strong finish to the year,” said Clarke.

Hedblom is without a top-20 finish all year and recently took himself off to a near-deserted island in Sweden to get away from golf for a while.

His back-to-back 66s have put him alongside Clarke on eight under par at halfway, but five players are only a stroke behind and 10 more just two back.

Those on seven under are England’s Kenneth Ferrie, Welshman Bradley Dredge, Irishman Peter Lawrie, Australian Wade Ormsby and Hedblom’s countryman Oskar Henningsson, who in his last event three weeks ago won in the Czech Republic.

The large group on six under includes Australian Terry Pilkadaris, who woke up in Melbourne on Tuesday morning to find himself invited to take part in the event.

“I left the same afternoon and had no practice round, but I’m fine,” he said. “That’s the beauty of sleeping tablets!”

Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal – the current Ryder Cup captain and in all probability the next one – missed the halfway cut.

For Montgomerie it was a third successive early exit, while for Olazabal it was confirmation that his inability to practise hard is going to be a real hindrance.

The Spanish star has started suffering rheumatic pains again and said after finishing two over: “I can’t put in the hours that this game needs to be sharp.

“I didn’t play well and my putting stroke is not there either.”

Unless his health worsens Olazabal will try again in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles next week, as will Montgomerie. He is the event chairman.