Clarke and McIlroy loving life in Bermuda

Darren Clarke appears to be trying to curry favour with Rory McIlroy going into today's first round of the 36-hole PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda.

This season's four Major winners - Clarke and McIlroy are joined by South African Charl Schwartzel and American Keegan Bradley - were all asked to name their favourite female athlete in an online "Twenty Questions" ahead of the event.

While Schwartzel came up with Steffi Graf and Bradley with his aunt Pat - she won six golf majors - Clarke's answer was current tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki.

McIlroy, of course, has been going out with the Dane since the summer, so it was no surprise that he named Wozniacki as well.

To thank Clarke for his choice, the 22-year-old named the Open champion in his dream fourball along with his own father and Rafael Nadal.

The two Irishmen are attempting to become the first European winner of the title since Ian Woosnam in 1991.

Nick Faldo, Jose Maria Olazabal, Padraig Harrington (all twice), Bernhard Langer, Paul Lawrie, Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer have all competed since, Harrington coming closest with play-off defeats to Angel Cabrera and Jim Furyk in 2007 and 2008.

It is a financially rewarding two days however well or poorly the quartet play, however.

McIlroy's first task is to overcome jet-lag. The US Open champion was in China last week for a seven-day, seven-city challenge against Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Liang Wen-chong.

After finishing a distant last with a six-over-par 79 - Westwood beat Liang in a play-off after both shot 71, with Poulter one behind - McIlroy tweeted: "My great Chinese adventure has ended.

"Now mentally preparing myself for 20 hours in the air from Hong Kong to Bermuda!"

All four became first-time Major winners this year, the first time that had happened since 2003.