Clarke Targets BMW PGA

Darren Clarke is eyeing victory at the BMW PGA Championship - 20 years after he first appeared at the tournament.

The reigning Open champion admits he would love to add the title at the European Tour's flagship event to his CV.

Clarke, who first appeared at Wentworth back in 1992, finishing 54th, said: "I think if you ask any player on the European Tour to pick one event outside the Majors that they'd want to win one day it would be the BMW PGA Championship and I am no exception.

"Obviously to do it on the 20th anniversary of my first playing in the tournament would be extra sweet but I'm under no illusions about the task in hand because the field is always one of the strongest of the entire year.

"I can't really believe it is 20 years since I played for the first time - time really does fly by when you are having fun. If I'm being honest though, I can't really remember much about my debut in 1992 but what I do remember was thinking that if I'd qualified to play at Wentworth, I really must have arrived on the European Tour."

Clarke has finished runner-up at Wentworth on two occasions - 1997 and 2000 - and he feels that shows that going one better remains a possibility.

The Northern Irishman added: "I have come close a couple of times and it is a course I feel I can compete on.

"I've always liked the golf course and it has always been demanding, but it is a really tough challenge nowadays after the changes Ernie (Els) made to it.

"In the past, on the odd occasion, you used to see people finish perhaps birdie, eagle, eagle to suddenly burst into contention, but with the changes that is a lot harder to do nowadays. It is a much tougher test than it used to be."

This year's tournament takes place from May 24-27.

Defending champion and world number one Luke Donald will appear, as will Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood.

Donald Returns to Number One

Luke Donald regained top spot in the world rankings from Rory McIlroy after finishing third in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

The Englishman needed a top-seven finish to move back to the head of the standings and a final-round 67 saw him finish third, two shots adrift.

American Jason Dufner beat Ernie Els in a play-off for his first PGA Tour title after they finished tied on 19 under.

Masters champion Bubba Watson carded 70 to end tied 18th at 11 under.

The world number one spot has changed hands nine times in the last 18 months, with Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer also holding the position.

With Donald absent this week, McIlroy can regain top spot in the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina.

“All in all, pretty good week. All this different media attention tires you out. It's something you got to get used to”Masters champion Bubba Watson

"It's been going back and forth a little bit. Rory's turn next week. It was a little bit of a motivation to try to play well today," said Donald on Sunday.

Dufner took a two-shot lead into the fourth round but his two-under 70 was not enough to hold off Els's 67.

Both missed birdie putts within eight feet on the par-five 18th on the first play-off hole, but Dufner holed a short birdie putt and Els missed one from the fringe on the 18th for a second time to hand the 35-year-old a first title in 164 starts on the PGA Tour.

Dufner lost play-offs last year to Mark Wilson in the Phoenix Open and Keegan Bradley in the US PGA Championship for two of his three career runner-up finishes.

"To get the monkey off of my back, it's a great feeling," said Dufner, who is getting married next weekend.

Three-time major winner Els last won on the PGA Tour in the 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

"It was a nice little charge I made and, you know, nice to catch the leader," said the South African. "I had a chance to win the tournament with a six-footer and missed it, but I made quite a few putts on the back nine to keep myself in it."

Defending champion Watson, playing for the first time since his Masters win over Easter weekend, entered the final round eight shots off the lead and was unable to mount a charge after bogeys on his first two holes.

"All in all, pretty good week being tired, coming back for the first time after winning the Masters, all this different media attention," Watson said.

"It's something you got to get used to. It wears on you, tires you out. Somehow I finished - I'm in the top 20. A lot of guys wished they did that."