Early struggles for Clarke
Darren Clarke, hoping to feel the benefits of resting his sore right wrist before the Linde German Masters, did not make the best of starts in Cologne today.
Clarke, one of eight Ryder Cup players taking part before flying to Detroit on Monday, had withdrawn from the curtain-raising pro-am as a precaution after tweaking the wrist in practice.
The strapping had come off this morning, but the Ulsterman played a poor approach to the 10th green and did well to save par, then failed to get up and down from just off the putting surface at the short 11th.
At one over par he was three behind the early leaders – former cup men Ian Woosnam and Peter Baker, Holland’s Robert-Jan Derksen and also England’s Robert Rock, who came in as a replacement for Lee Westwood.
The former European number one’s wife Laurae gave birth on Sunday to their second child – a daughter named Poppy Grace – and he decided to spend the week at home.
Also out was David Howell, one of Bernhard Langer’s five new caps, with a heavy cold, while last week’s winner Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia had decided to miss the €2.9m tournament.
Clarke got his act together with birdies at the 12th and 13th to be one under and, when Casey matched him, he was only one behind Rock, whose third birdie came on the 458-yard 14th.
The 27-year-old kept his tour card with little to spare last season and at 124th on the current money list, he needs to make a move again. Only the top 115 earn places on next year’s circuit.
Woosnam fell back to level par with bogeys at the 14th and 16th, while Jimenez and Poulter slipped to one over.
