A sharp divide in Northern attitudes

Philip Reid was intrigued by the responses from Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell after their 73s. Within 10 minutes at Valderrama yesterday, two players from the same neck of the woods entered the recorder's hut that is perched at the back of the 18th green and signed for opening rounds of 73 in the Volvo Masters.

But their moods could hardly have been more different. Darren Clarke preferred to keep his counsel, briskly signing autographs for those young hunters who leaned over the metal barriers before seeking release from his troubles by retreating to the practice range to hit several buckets of golf balls.

Graeme McDowell, in contrast, was sanguine. The 25-year-old from Portrush has a great capacity to focus on the positives, even at times when others might despair. Yesterday was a case in point. For four hours he had worked his way through the cork trees of this unique course and, despite creating chances, finished his round without the consolation of a single birdie.

"I can't remember the last time I was closed out," mused McDowell, who is finishing off a career-best year on the European Tour. "But, somehow, a birdie-free round out here doesn't feel like a normal birdie-free round, because this golf course is treacherously difficult. I'm relieved to be in, to be finished, but a bit frustrated not to have made a (birdie) putt. I missed a bunch of chances on the back (nine)."

This course torments and enthrals in equal measure, and McDowell - playing in only his second Volvo Masters - is still learning its nuances. "It's amazing how many guys you hear talking about this golf course before the tournament starts," remarked McDowell, "of how treacherous it really is, and Mickey Mouse comes up and all that. But, to be honest, I haven't played the course enough to have seen it at its most tricky . . . the fairways are soft, the greens are pure and the rough isn't too thick, so it is not ridiculously tough out there. It just can be tricky."

He added: "My caddie (Matt Harbour) said to me going down the eighth or ninth, 'there is just no let up out here'. He is right. The course doesn't allow you to get into any kind of rhythm, it doesn't allow you to get any momentum going. Every tee-shot is key, every iron shot is key and the greens just keep you thinking all the time."

McDowell had reached the turn in two-over 37, which included much scrambling. On the back nine, though, his play improved. But he could not hole a birdie putt. In all he had 31 putts - contrast that with Clarke who had only 24 in his round.

But McDowell's attitude after his round was to focus on what could be achieved.

"I see four- and three-under on the leaderboard," he said, "so it is all about believing that there is a score out there."

For Clarke, it was not a day, or a finish, that he would seek to remember too fondly. Each time he grabbed a birdie, it seemed he would give it back to the course. Having birdied the fourth, be bogeyed the fifth. When he birdied the 10th, he bogeyed the 12th. Then, when he birdied the 13th, he suffered a semi-shank on the 14th and again suffered a bogey.

Although still level par at that stage, Clarke then bogeyed the 17th - where, having laid up, he put his approach shot over the back of the green - and suffered another bogey on the 18th, where he put his approach into the greenside bunker.