Clarke chasing consistency

Darren Clarke doesn't take offence too easily these days, writes Philip Reid in Sawgrass.

The other day somebody informed the slim-lined golfer in good faith that he had a tear in his trousers. And, in between a fit of the giggles, the man who has lost two-and-a-half stone to become a walking clothes horse explained to the fashion philistine that the slits at the end of the trouser legs were intentional.

In fact, Clarke elaborated that his shrinking waist-line was keeping his Italian tailor extremely busy. "I've had to clear my wardrobe of literally hundreds of pairs of trousers," he explained.

All of which was good-natured banter and confirmed Clarke's sleeker physical frame is also having a positive effect on his mental attitude.

There was a time when Clarke's roller-coaster start to this season would have had him utterly confused, and frustrated. Now, he's more philosophical. In six tournaments in the US this season, the 35-year-old has finished in the top-six three times . . . and missed the cut the other three times. It's a wild ride that nevertheless has moved him to 11th on the US Tour money list with $1,091,875. But his form has unquestionably been inconsistent.

Why? "Sometimes it goes for you, and sometimes it doesn't. I don't swing textbook, and I don't play textbook . . . when I'm good, I'm going to be good, and when I am bad, my bad is just not good enough. That's an area where I have to try and improve. It's not how good the good shots are, it is how good the bad shots are. If the bad shots are in play, you're going to be okay."

Around the stadium course here at Sawgrass, wayward shots are penalised more heavily than elsewhere. "I think the guy who is mentally strong this week is the one that's going to come out on top," claimed Clarke. "It's a tough golf course, and there's no getting away from that. It's a tough course with probably the toughest finish on the tour.

"As well as playing well, sometimes you need that extra bit of luck that carries you through at the right times."

Clarke's previous appearances in the Players' are, in many ways, symptomatic of this inconsistency. He's been either good, or bad. In fact, in six appearances in the tournament Clarke has missed the cut on three occasions - yet, he proved last year that he has the game to conquer the course, too, as he finished in tied-sixth, his best position in the tournament.

"My game is not bad. In Dubai, where I missed the cut coming off the Accenture Matchplay, I was too tired. I wasn't able to compete at all. But I went back home, worked on my game, and last week (in Bay Hill, where he finished tied-sixth) there were definite signs that I was hitting it better."

So, it is with some confidence that Clarke - who, despite his three top-six finishes in the US is only 14th in the world rankings - tees it up in the Players'. "It's one of the biggest events in the world, after majors. It's a tournament everyone looks forward to."

Now, all that is required is to discover some consistency and carry on with the positives that were taken out of Bay Hill. If he can do that, Clarke - better than anyone - knows he can contend.