Clarke changes for good

GOLF: So, it's true, Darren Clarke is a changed man; not just physically, but mentally too. Yesterday, on the sort of dry and breezy day that reminded him of the times he learnt how to play links golf as a youngster, Clarke took a miserly 65 strokes to conquer a Whistling Straits course that some had deemed to be "a monster".

Yet, having tamed the beast, and as if to emphasise his growing maturity, the player refused to count his chickens before they're hatched.

Stung by over-optimism in the past, the memories of past failings still linger. Episodes like Augusta last year, when he led the first round of the Masters, and of Troon in 1997, when he contended going into the final round of the British Open.

"It's only the first round," opined Clarke, keeping his emotions very close to his chest. "I'm very pleased to have shot 65, but there's a long, long way to go. I'm not interested in how I'm doing until the weekend."

No doubt, too, Clarke will have cast a long, lingering look at those in pursuit, among them Ernie Els and Vijay Singh. However, a presence that he may have suspected would be there was conspicuous by his absence. Tiger Woods, the world's number one, struggled, particularly on the greens - "I putted atrociously," he said - and signed for a 75 that left him a distance behind Clarke, who played beautifully.

In fact, Clarke has played beautifully tee-to-green for much of this season, yet has failed to win a title since claiming the NEC Invitational all of 12 months ago. The problem has been his putting. Yesterday, he weaved it like a magic wand. On a day when he hit 78 per cent of fairways and found 15 of 18 greens in regulation, Clarke needed just 25 putts, nine of them converted for birdies.

"I've been hitting a lot of good shots all year, but obviously not as well as I did today," he later observed. "But I'm feeling more confident with the blade and, when you have that confidence, it also gives me more confidence off the tee and with the shots going into the greens."

The reason, it seems, for Clarke's transformation with the putter is an American teaching professional by the name of Stan Utley, a short-game specialist who works with Jay Haas - who opened with a 68 - and, in his time, has also worked with Paul McGinley.

"I went to Stan because his reputation preceded him. Paul went to see him and suggested I should go because his coaching method in teaching is actually very similar to the way I swing the club. He's been very beneficial, and I'm thankful he had the time to come and spend with me."

So, earlier this week, Clarke met Utley and they worked on his overall short game. Not just his putting but his bunker play and chipping too. "He's changed my action quite a lot. I'm hitting it more on the inside, which I haven't been doing. I'm still working on the same things that I've always been doing with Butch (Harmon) on my main swing, but Stan pointed out a few other things within the short game and what have you. He's been a big help."

Prior to play, the golfers were informed that three tees were being moved forward, for fear that expected high winds of up to 20 miles an hour - which never materialised - would wreak havoc. Instead, the players who had battled with the course and the elements in practice were left with a tamer version. And Clarke - involved in a three-ball that also featured Justin Leonard, who opened with a 66, and KJ Choi, who birdied his opening five holes on the way to a 68 - made hay.

Clarke, too, got off to a fast start by reeling off four successive birdies. Reunited with caddie Billy Foster, for a third time, and working with him for the first time in 18 months, Clarke took advantage of the rather benign conditions to set the clubhouse target.

The only blips came at the ninth, where his approach found a greenside bunker and he had to play the ball with both feet outside the trap, and on the 13th where his approach was plugged in a bunker and he could only play out sideways.

While Clarke admitted that he had learned from past experiences and, consequently, wasn't getting ahead of himself, Els - who has contended in all three of the season's majors without tasting victory - was also determined to avoid the past. "I can't bring back what happened," said Els, who lost a play-off for the British Open to Todd Hamilton and finished a shot adrift of Phil Mickelson at the Masters. "Although I think about it every now and again, it's done. It's history. I've got another chance this week and I'm happy about that."

As Els noted, "there's a lot of guys who've played well. Darren's played well. Justin (Leonard) has played well. Padraig, too. There's a lot of guys out there . . . it will all filter out as the week goes along. I'd like to be in the mix, that's all I can ask for."

Of the later starters, Luke Donald, a recent winner of the Scandinavian Masters and pursuing a debut appearance in the Ryder Cup, moved to six-under after 14 holes, while McGinley was three-under after 13.

As for Clarke, his post-round caution is fully justified. Since the PGA converted from matchplay to strokeplay in 1958, a first-round leader has gone on to win only 10 times in 46 championships. No doubt, Clarke would like to change that particular statistic for the better.