Clarke picks the brains of master Langer

You're never too old to learn something from a golfing master, which is why Darren Clarke - now nudging towards his 35th birthday and with almost €13 million in career earnings - and Bernhard Langer were huddled together, deep in conversation, away from prying ears around the corner of the recorder's hut that is adjacent to the 18th green at Gut Kaden Golf Club yesterday.

The conspiratorial conversation had nothing to do with the Ryder Cup captaincy - Langer is considered as favourite to be named Europe's captain in July for next year's match in Detroit - and it had nothing to do with the changes in the qualifying system for that match, with a dual process involving prize money earned on the European Tour and a separate table of world rankings points over the qualifying period.

Nope, Clarke's decision to call Langer aside had to do with the Irishman's own game; and there was no irony in the fact that he chose to call on the German's expertise shortly after opening his quest in the TPC of Europe with a first round 67, five shots better than Langer.

But would he divulge what he had asked, or what Langer had told him? No way. "That's between the two of us," insisted Clarke.

Langer, too, was keeping mum on the advice that was proffered. "If Darren doesn't want to tell you, then I won't. He was looking for some advice, and I gave it to him," said the two-time US Masters champion, adding: "You know, I believe this is what the younger guys should do.

"They should go and pick the older guys' brains. I've a lot of time for Darren as a player and a person and I think he is going to do great things. We've played five rounds together in the last few weeks and he wanted to know if there was anything I had noticed, and I had. I'd give anybody advice, it is how you learn, and I want the best for everybody."

Yesterday, in a way, seemed to mark a change for the better in Clarke's fortunes. Since assuming the first round lead in last month's US Masters, it has been pretty much a case of one bad break after another befalling him. Particularly on the greens, where the putter has been a hostile friend.

But a player who has been swinging the club quite beautifully for much of the season - he is number one in combined driving, distance and accuracy, on the US Tour this year - rediscovered his game on a course where he is extremely comfortable. "This course has been very good to me in the past. I like it," said Clarke.

It wasn't all plain sailing, though; and his round included a most unlikely visit to the water.

By his own admission, Clarke - fine big lad that he is - still wouldn't be the type that you'd find on a fashion catwalk. Sure he dresses well, but the trademark Cuban cigar that's inevitably perched on his bottom lip is about as close to a fashion accessory as you'll find with a player who is more intent on grabbing birdies or eagles and avoiding bogeys.

The sixth hole at Gut Kaden is a par five of 539 yards and it was here yesterday that Clarke allowed his mind to be momentarily distracted from how he swings a golf club to how he must look to outsiders. He'd just removed his shoes and socks and rolled up the waterproof trousers and was clamouring down a bank into a water hazard that guards the elevated green when the thought struck him that he would look very foolish if he somehow lost his footing while playing out the submerged ball.

"I imagined all the chuckles you'd all have had I had fallen over," remarked Clarke. "I'm not afraid of getting wet but I don't think I would have put my considerable bulk any further back in the water. I was more concerned about what people would say if I fell over than with my shot." In the event, he didn't fall over; and he did succeed in getting the ball on to the green and walking away with a two-putt par. It was an important save. On the previous three holes, Clarke - who'd started his round on the 10th - had rolled in birdie putts to move into contention in the first round and, after his water antics, he was to go on and finish things off with a birdie-birdie finish on the eighth and ninth holes, the 17th and 18th holes of his round, for a 67.

He attributed a slight improvement in his putting - he still used the putter 30 times yesterday - in a lesson he received from Lee Westwood on the putting green on Wednesday and a further session on the green at his hotel later that evening. "Putting's massively important at this level and for much of this season I've given myself numerous chances and walked off courses feeling that I've left shots out there and that is very, very frustrating."

At least a finish yesterday of five birdies in his last seven holes ensured frustration was absent from his demeanour and puts him in a position of contention, rather than fighting to make the cut.