In form Clarke accidentally hits spectator

Darren Clarke spoke tonight about his concern for the wife of US Open runner-up Stephen Leaney - after he struck her on the head…

Darren Clarke spoke tonight about his concern for the wife of US Open runner-up Stephen Leaney - after he struck her on the head in the first round of the Smurfit European Open at the K Club near Dublin.

The Ulsterman's drive came off a tree and sent Tracey Leaney to the ground. It was not until two hours later that she was released to go back to her hotel by medical staff.

"She's six months pregnant as well, so it wasn't a nice moment," said Clarke. "It's always horrible hitting anybody and when we were walking up there to see her lying on the ground it is terrible.

"You don't know how badly injured she is, but thankfully it was that bad a shot that it managed to hit a tree before it hit her head. It's horrible for everybody. I shouldn't have hit the ball over there, but unfortunately people do get hit every now and then.

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"The last woman I hit on the golf course was Barbara Nicklaus (Jack's wife) in the Open championship at Royal St George's in 1993. My record is not very good. But she was okay as well."

Clarke said it was around three holes before he could focus properly again, but almost bizarrely he had a hat-trick of birdies in that time and finished the day with a five under 67 to be one behind overnight leaders Phillip Price, Alastair Forsyth and Retief Goosen.

Gary Murphy was also on the same mark as Clarke after his 67 was one of his best opening rounds on Tour. The pair are joined on five under Andrew Coltart, Soren Hansen and early leader Fredrik Andersson.

Graeme McDowell, who carried the home flag for the early part of the day, is well-placed after his opening 69.

Colin Montgomerie, in his first tournament since his 40th birthday, is well-placed too following a 68, but title favourite Padraig Harrington managed only a 73. That was still five better than playing partner Philip Golding and Harrington had some comforting words for the new French Open champion as he came back down to earth with a bang.

Forty-year-old Golding, who triumphed on Sunday after a record 16 trips to the tour qualifying school and 200 events without a top-five finish, did not have a single birdie and ran up a triple-bogey seven on the 17th.

But Harrington told him that four days after his first win in the 1996 Spanish Open he played with Nick Faldo in the Benson & Hedges International and took 13 on one hole.

Of the other Irishman who made up the 15-strong home contingent, all were no better than par. Paul McGinley and Damian Mooney matched par and still have all to play for. Damien McGrane Peter Lawrie and Jimmy Heggarty carded one more to finish one over, while Philip Walton shot 74.

As for a trio of Irish PGA players, Leslie Walker, Brendan McGovern and John McHenry all shot 76. Jimmy Bolger finished five over while John Dywer, who had a strong tournament last year, was last of the Irish on six over 78.