 |
| Getty Images |
Darren Clarke had both good and back luck in equal measure, during his second round at Pretoria Country Club of the Tshwane Open.
The 46 year old Ulsterman has not had a top ten on The European Tour since lifting the Claret Jug at the 2011 Open Championship, some 190 weeks ago, and he started the second day at Pretoria Country Club eight shots behind the lead of Morten Ørum Madsen, looking to right that wrong in his fifth start of the 2015 campaign.
Back-to-back birdie threes at the opening two holes were a fine way to gain ground on those atop the leaderboard, before Clarke followed that up with six straight pars. Cue the ninth hole, where his approach to the par five narrowly missed the green, but what happened next needs to be seen to be believed.
Having played two holes without the use of his putter - after he also chipped in on the tenth - Clarke was five under par through ten holes and had jumped 65 places on the leaderboard into the top 15. However, his short game domination did not last, and while facing a tricky lie to the left of the green on the 13th hole, Clarke hit what the commentators rather generously described as "a snap slice".
As a result, the 46 year old walked off the hole with a double bogey six and an apology to his playing partner Andy Sullivan, who got a closer view of Clarke's chip than he expected as it whizzed past the head of the two-time 2015 European Tour winner.
Regardless of their near miss, however, the pair seemed to thoroughly enjoy each other's company all day, sharing a laugh on more than a couple of occasions.
As for Clarke's round, it did not take the 14-time European Tour winner too long to get over his miscue, and having stuck a long iron approach to within a few feet of the hole at the testing par four 12th hole, he did the same again on the 14th to set up a tap in birdie two.
Following a short weather delay, Clarke and his playing partners Sullivan and Trevor Fisher Jnr returned to the course to finish the final four holes. Sadly for Clarke, the break seemingly interrupted the momentum he had built beforehand, eventually seeing him double bogey the final hole and card a three under par round, to sit two under par after 36 holes and in a tie for 34th.
The 67 was Clarke's lowest round in more than six months, however, and did show signs of the work he has been putting in on the range, as well as on the practice green, recently. Whether or not this ends up being the week that Clarke posts his 121st European Tour top ten remains to be seen, but he will no doubt continue to entertain the crowds here in Pretoria, and will be sure to do so with that trademark smile on his face.
