Clarke puts putting tip to good use

DARREN CLARKE made the most of a putting tip from Colin Montgomerie yesterday to become a serious rival to the European number one for the Lancome Trophy in Paris.

Clarke shot a first round 67 at St Nom La Breteche after a chance meeting on the practice green with the Scot who told him his putting would improve if he employed a lighter grip on the club.

As Montgomerie is recognised as one of the best putters in Europe, and had scored 31 birdies and two eagles in winning last week's Canon European Masters in Switzerland, the Ulsterman did not hesitate to take the advice.

He was rewarded with an outward 32 and a total of five birdies, and an immediate place among the leading contenders for the title Montgomerie is defending against the best in Europe, as well as American based Nick Faldo and Jesper Parnevik.

Montgomerie had six birdies in opening with a 66, to share second place with Parnevik, Andrew Coltart and Stuart Cage, one behind surprise leader Jamie Spence.

FaIdo, playing the first of a possible 10 Ryder Cup qualifying tournaments, had 73. Clarke and Montgomerie have been close friends for some time, even before the Irishman began to consult his Yorkshire coach Bill Ferguson, I am happy to help if I can," said Montgomerie. "Darren has a lot of talent and deserves to be in the Ryder Cup team."

Clarke commented: "Colin said I would get a better feel on my putter if I gripped it more lightly and he was right. It made a big improvement and though I did not play particularly well, my better putting got me a good score.

Better alignment, one of the early benefits from his consultations with new coach Peter Cowen, also helped Clarke hole three times from more than 15 feet in his outward half. He sank a tricky downhill putt of five feet for his birdie at the long eighth and had another birdie four at the 17th where his 20 yard chip and run hit the flagstick.

Padraig Harrington, making his first visit to the prestigious Parisian tournament, opened with a cultured 68 which began with a birdie from 12 feet and included a 35 foot chip in at the 14th. He also had birdies at the ninth where he holed from 10 feet and the 17th, where he pitched to within three feet.

However the Dubliner's outing ended in bizarre fashion when his partner Mark James had a seven at the par three 18th. It included two penalty shots for slamming his wedge into sand in a bunker in between playing two recovery shots from the hazard.

Montgomerie was similarly annoyed by failing with a putt of less than 12 inches at the fourth his 13th. In former times that might have signalled one of the Scot's famous tantrums, but he is a different man these days.

Montgomerie resisted the temptation to reach for his driver on the next tee, selected a two iron, and was rewarded with a birdie three when he holed from 20 feet. He had another birdie at the eighth, and then ended another hugely impressive performance with a 20 foot birdie putt.

I hate throwing shots away," he said. "And you cannot do that against a field of this quality."

Ronan Rafferty produced a par round of 70, and David Higgins bravely finished with two birdies for a 71. But it was an indifferent first day for Philip Walton and Raymond Burns, who both laboured to rounds of 74, and Des Smyth was dismissive of the quality of his golf in a 75.

Paul McGinley was none too happy with his 72, paying the penalty for two offline drives at the fourth and fifth, and he managed only one birdie. But at least he hit the hall straight, which was more than Faldo could claim after an embarrassing finish when he dumped his tee shot into the pond dividing the ninth and 18th greens for a double bogey.

"I am blocking everything," complained Faldo as he headed for a lengthy practice ground session with his video camera at his side.