Clarke's slow start as US pair hit front

US and European ToursA day of very mixed golf saw Darren Clarke finish seven shots off the early pace, set by Bart Bryant and Dean Wilson, in the Bay Hill Invitational at the Bay Hill Golf Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida, yesterday.

Four birdies, three bogeys and one double bogey left Clarke at one-over par 73 at the end of the first day, as Bryant and Wilson climbed to the top of the leaderboard at six-under-par 66.

Starting on the 10th, Bryant was quickly into the birdie trail picking up shots at the 10th, 12th, 15th and an eagle at the 16th took him to five-under-par before he dropped his only shot at the 17th to be out in 32 and he came back in 34 with birdies at the second and fifth.

Wilson, meanwhile, also started on the 10th and a hat-trick of birdies from the 15th helped him to a first nine of 32. Two birdies, at the sixth and eighth, on the homeward journey brought him back in 34 for his 66 as the pair opened a one-shot lead over former British Open champion Ben Curtis, Ernie Els, Chad Campbell, Jason Gore and Lucas Glover.

Curtis, rarely heard of since his shock victory in the British Open at Royal St George's, Sandwich, three years ago, birdied the last two holes for a five-under-par 67.

Tiger Woods, seeking his fifth victory in the event and his fourth win in six starts this season, birdied four of the first six holes on the front nine after turning in a level-par 36.

But then came a three-putt bogey on the short seventh, and another dropped shot at the next after he drove into the left rough. The world number one also had to work hard for a closing par that left him with "only" a 70.

Sergio Garcia was set to make it a three-way tie at the top, but three-putted the 441-yard last and had to be content with a 68, the same as England's Lee Westwood, American Tom Pernice and Paraguay's Carlos Franco.

The highlight of Els' round was an eagle putt of almost 50 feet at the 558-yard sixth, and it accompanied three birdies in a bogey-free display from the South African, who surprisingly has not won on American soil since the Memorial Tournament in June 2004.

It is only six weeks ago, though, that he and Woods were involved in a play-off for the Dubai Desert Classic crown, and with the start of the US Masters only three weeks away Els knows that victory this weekend would be the perfect boost.

Westwood had some repair work to do in that regard after dropping from seventh to 30th in the Honda Classic with two closing rounds of 77 last weekend.

And the English golfer made a good job of it, also keeping a bogey off his scorecard and collecting birdies at the 13th, 14th, third and fifth.

Justin Rose and Greg Owen, neither of whom have a place in the Masters as things stand, returned 70s, while Colin Montgomerie eagled the 16th and signed off with birdie putt in a 71.

Clarke, starting at the 10th, had birdies at the 12th and 16th, but these were cancelled out with a double bogey five at the par-three 14th. Three more bogeys followed on the back nine before birdies at the sixth and ninth saw him settle for a 73.