IT USED to be said that a man could be judged by the clothes he wore. In the modern world of professional golf, the car in his garage is a more reliable yardstick.
The latest model to occupy space in Darren Clarke's is a gleaming red Ferrari Testarossa, which he bought at Wentworth last week after finishing runner-up to Ian Woosnam in the Volvo PGA Championship, and thus effectively securing his debut in this year's Ryder Cup team.
Clarke won £82,000 for his efforts on the West Course, which, he also learned yesterday on the eve of the Deutsche Bank Open in Hamburg, had elevated him to 51st place in the world rankings.
But he declined to divulge how much his treat had cost him, or whether he had ambitions to follow in the footsteps of world number one Greg Norman. The Australian is reputed to have six Ferraris garaged at his home in Florida because they appreciate faster than works of art". especially if they are driven only a handful of miles each year.
The question arises because Clarke, who has already owned two Porsche and a Toyota Lexus, has been promised one of the new Ferrari 355 models, worth £100,000, if he wins two points in the Ryder Cup at Valderrama in September.
By rising to third place in the qualifying table with 337,951 points, he may yet wake up to it in his driveway. A modicum of success in the remaining qualifying events, starting with this week's f750,000 promotion at the Gut Kaden club will give him ignition.
"My favourite car is a fast car," said Clarke, who was tempted to follow Colin Montgomerie's example and rest this week, but decided because of his past German successes to try to win the £125,000 top prize.
"But I won't be driving my Testarossa very much. I shall Just put it in the garage and take it out occasionally."
Clarke won the German Masters in Berlin last October, and was runner-up in the Honda Open to Bernhard Langer on this Hamburg course in 1992. Last year, he was third behind New Zealander Frank Nobilo. and Montgomerie.
"I like the course and I have always placed well here," he added. band I have come here to try and win. But I was close to pulling out because I am tired after being on the road since the Spanish Open last month. I shall be playing at Slaley Hall next week as well, and then it is the US Open.
Clarke recognises that he did not take his chance to win the Tour's biggest event of the season, but said: "It was good to be in contention and hold my own, against the top players. Ian Woosnam's compliments were nice as well."
Woosnam and Montgomerie, who now head the qualifiers, are among the seven players in the top 20 of the qualifying table who are not contending for points in Germany.
Those best placed to follow Clarke into Seve's squad for Spain are his stablemate Lee Westwood. and Paul Broadhurst, a member of the 1991 side at Kiawah Island. Westwood is ninth with 254,333. while Broadhurst currently fills the 10th place on 211,754, being chased by the resurgent Jose-Maria Olazabal. Victory for either would take them beyond the likely qualifying mark.
But achieving that in a German event in which Langer starts a warm favourite to gain his 10th European win on home soil will be no easy task. The German, winner of the Italian Open and the Benson and Hedges International earlier this month, has recovered from the hand injury that affected him at Wentworth.
Ryder CLIP captain Seve Ballesteros is also fit again. surprisingly so after being forced to withdraw before the second round of the PGA Championship because of a muscle spasm in his back. Despite an injection to "free" the problem, he could not hit wedge shots or bend to putt.
But yesterday Ballesteros said: I have had three days rest and I feel good enough to play. I have entered for next week at Slaley Hall, but I go one day at a time now. I will see how I feel about that after this week."
Paul McGinley is hoping to kick-start his season and regain the form of his top 10 finishes in Dubai and Cannes, while Ronan Rafferty will be looking to build on his season's best performance.
