Golf: Clarke claims share of the lead
Darren Clarke survived a windswept day at the El Saler links to claim a share of the lead going into the final round of the Via Digital Spanish Open in Valencia.
The Ulsterman holed a majestic 30-foot putt on the final green to record a level-par 72 for a nine-under-par total of 207 - the same score as Sweden's Robert Karlsson.
Clarke said: "I've hit the ball fantastic all day, I've had 36 putts for 72 and to do that on a course as difficult as this in windy conditions says a lot for my ball-striking.
"Somebody turned the light on for me at Augusta (at the US Masters). I figured out a little bit about what I've been doing wrong and have been doing wrong for the last four or five years."
That somebody, he later revealed, was a combination of himself, caddie Billy Foster, manager 'Chubby' Chandler and Tiger Woods' coach, Butch Harmon, and related to a problem with the clubface at impact.
"Something just clicked into place and all of a sudden I felt great," he added.
Certainly he used his modified game to good effect on an extremely testing day on the Spanish east coast.
Accuracy and placement were at a premium, and the 32-year-old had both skills in abundance with a succession of quality iron shots.
After the torrent of birdies in the opening two rounds, Clarke had to settle for just three - at the fourth, 11th and then in a brilliant finale, at the last.
Playing into a stiff Mediterranean breeze, Clarke unleashed an 200-yard four-iron that drew to 30 feet of the hole - he duly sunk his putt for a three, only the second birdie at the hole all day.
Karlsson, playing in the group behind, had looked set to lead when birdies at the 10th, 11th and 15th moved him to 11 under.
Bogeys at the 17th and 18th cost him the outright lead.
Denmark's Soren Hansen lay two shots behind on 209 thanks to the day's steadiest round - a two-under-par 70 - made up of two birdies and 16 pars.
Many of the leading players saw their games swept away by the wind however.
Andrew Coltart was the most obvious victim, sliding to a disastrous 79 - including an eight at the 15th - to fall back to level par for the tournament.
Another to only just scrape under the 80 barrier was unlikely overnight joint leader Andrew Raitt.
First-day leader Andrew Oldcorn had seven bogeys in his 78 to slip back to one under, and Jarmo Sandelin returned a 76 to leave him on four under.
Miguel Angel Jimenez is well poised for a final-day charge, however, with only a bogey on the last spoiling an otherwise flawless round of 70, leaving him at six under par.
