Clarke fired by renewed ambition as he opens his campaign

GOLF:FEW WILL move into the new season with quite as much spring in his step as Darren Clarke, who resumes tournament play on the European Tour at this week's Africa Open on an old stomping ground at the East London Club.

Clarke got engaged to Alison Campbell over the Christmas festive period, and is now determined to again become a force at the major championships.

The Dungannon man is ranked 100th in the world and has targeted breaking into the top-50 by the end of March – the cut-off for qualification for the US Masters in Augusta – as one of his early-season priorities.

To do that, he knows he must start winning again.

Clarke’s last tour win came in the 2008 Dutch Open, but he believes all the hours of practice he has put in over the past year will finally bear fruit.

Of his form last year, he explained: “I felt I was on the edge all year of playing well, felt it was close, and just didn’t manage to do it . . . I’m knocking on the door.”

In fact, Clarke had a solid if winless season which saw him run up five top-10 finishes, including two runners-up places.

And, in deciding to adopt an intensive early-season itinerary which sees him play this week’s Africa Open and next week’s Joburg Open, before moving on to the Desert Swing starting in Abu Dhabi, Clarke is determined to get into a competitive mode from the get-go in showing that his ambitions in what is his 21st season on tour remain as fresh as they ever were.

Clarke, who finished runner-up to Retief Goosen in this tournament on the London course two years ago when it was solely a Sunshine Tour event, and not cosanctioned with the European Tour, traditionally starts his season in South Africa.

“It’s been two years since I won (on tour), but I am determined to break back (into the winner’s enclosure) and I hope the Africa Open will give me the kind of kick-start it did in 2009,” he said.

“It’s always great to start the season with a solid result and I’m looking forward to getting the season off on the right track in East London.”

Clarke’s busy early-season schedule is an indication of his desire to break back into the elite. His 30th place finish in last year’s European Order of Merit has assured him of a place in the field for this year’s British Open at Sandwich.

But his focus now is to make inroads in the world rankings which could provide a route into the other majors, with the Masters in April the first target. He must get back into the world’s top-50 by the end of March to get an automatic invitation back to Augusta.

Another target for Clarke will be to move back into the world’s top-64 ahead of the cut-off for the Accenture Matchplay championship, which takes place on February 23rd-27th.

The cut-off for that WGC tournament comes after the Dubai Desert Classic, the final leg of the Desert Swing.

Clarke is one of just three Irish players in action in the Africa Open, where he will be joined by Gareth Maybin and Damien McGrane.

There is an extremely strong home contingent, with Goosen, the winner two years ago but who missed out last year to compete on the US Tour’s season opener in Hawaii, joined by British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and in-form Charl Schwartzel.

Meanwhile, Pablo Martin has been handed an unexpected call for his second Royal Trophy appearance, giving him the perfect excuse to keep the mood of celebration going.

Martin is still “buzzing” after clinching his third European Tour win at the start of December, when he successfully defended the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

He has been drafted in to the European Team to replace Italy’s Edoardo Molinari, who withdrew with of a wrist injury.