Clarke surprises himself with Belfry lead

Twenty four hours after nearly walking out of The Belfry in disgust, Ireland's Darren Clarke did what he thought was impossible today - beginning the British Masters with a six-under-par 66 to be joint leader with Swede Peter Hanson.

Clarke considered withdrawing after a "terrible" pro-am round. Everybody would have understood the decision as his wife Heather continues her fight against cancer, but the 37-year-old thought it through before getting in his car.

"I talked myself out of it," he said. "It would not have been the right thing to do to go home. It would have been unprofessional.

"I went to the range and it was either break a few clubs or have a rest and come back later. I chose the second one, went back at six o'clock, worked for a couple of hours and managed to find something that semi-worked."

When he started with a three-putt bogey at the 10th Clarke admits that walking in from there flashed through his mind again, but he went on to birdie four of the next seven holes.

Then, after bogeying the difficult 18th, he followed another birdie at the second with a five-wood to 15 feet for eagle on the next. A closing birdie three was the icing on the cake.

Hanson's one European tour title was the Spanish Open last year, but the 28-year-old reached seven under before three-putting the 18th - "that evil green" he called it.

Indeed, it is so big and multi-tiered that Kenneth Ferrie's caddie even waved the flag at him as he prepared to putt from over 100 feet. But the Englishman, 11th in the race for places in this year's Ryder Cup side, sent it racing 20 feet past and was another to three-putt as he returned a 70.

Paul Casey is the player just ahead of Ferrie and therefore in the last automatic spot at present and his chances of a second cap were done no harm at all with a five-under 67.

On the same mark is US Open champion Michael Campbell in his first competitive round since the Masters over a month ago. That was the New Zealander's third missed cut in a row in America, but he has only to think back a year not to panic.

Colin Montgomerie had to settle for a level par 72, but Ireland's Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington would love to have been alongside him. They could do no better than 75, and Harrington had to birdie two of the last three for that.

But Kerry's David Higgins faired much better after a fine four-under par 68 left him just two shots off the lead.  Graeme McDowell is two under, Stephen Browne level alongside Philip Walton, while Michael Hoey sits one shot further back.  Dubliner Peter Lawrie is two-over while Damien McGrane has work to do, sitting as he does four-over par after an opening round 76.

The return of Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood from America brought them rounds of 68 and 70 respectively and Order of Merit leader David Howell, back in action after a month out with a back problem, was another on 70.