Clarke posts low score after slow start
Darren Clarke may have found his first two rounds to be “torture” but a third-round 67 certainly eased his pain at the SAA Open.
The Ryder Cup star moved within striking range of the leaders after needing to sink a monster 30-foot eagle putt to make the cut yesterday.
Clarke started off badly by dropping a shot on the first hole, and then sunk further back with another drop on six.
But that was almost all the bad luck that he was going to have on the day as he stormed forth with birdies on seven and eight to turn on even par for the round before finding the rub of the green on the back nine.
A five iron put him within 20 feet of the pin on 10, where he two-putted for a birdie. He closely matched that on the 13th and an excellent three wood put the ball within 12 feet on 14 to add another.
Three more birdies in the last four holes gave him a 31 on the back nine and left him three under for the tournament.
“That was better,” Clarke said. “If I had holed a few more putts, especially on the outward half, it might have even been better than 67.
“But I am pleased with that and especially the inward half. I hadn’t really been playing that badly on the first two days but I just couldn’t get the ball in the hole.
“I found something on the greens today in the latter half of my round. It was a pity to make a bogey on the 17th from a position I really should have had but as I said, apart from that I’m pretty pleased.”
Clarke was buoyed yesterday by his eagle, although he brushed aside the monster putt as just part of what he had to do to stay in the competition.
“Sure I’ve holed putts like that before, maybe not for an eagle two but I have made big putts to make cuts before.
“It is not an unusual occurrence but as I said yesterday it was nice to see it drop in because it is not nice to miss any cuts.”
The leader, South African Titch Moore and the rest of the leaderboard tee off later this afternoon.
