The European number two failed to take advantage of the benign morning conditions when there was no wind and with greens more receptive following overnight rain.

And the 32-year-old Irishman will need to make a major improvement if he is to make the weekend's play in his first outing of the 2001 season.

Clarke was two-under after seven holes but had dropped back to level before coming unstuck on the third.

Just left of the green in two, his pitch to the green came up short in the bunker and from a bad lie his fourth shot got to the top of the bank before rolling back down past him.

From there it took three more attempts to find the putting surface, his seventh shot finishing just inches from the hole.

"It was just one of those things," said a phlegmatic Clarke, demonstrating his new relaxed approach.

"I didn't play that badly but I just got punished for a couple of wayward shots.

"It's disappointing after being two under and it could have been four or five - but at least I birdied the last.

"The course was much easier than on Wednesday, as benign as it was ever going to be and it was the perfect opportunity to shoot a decent score, but all my practice the last two weeks at home was in vain.

"I've never been comfortable on greens like this, they're very grainy and difficult to read. They are the same as at Durban Country Club and my best score in three attempts there is 77."

Clarke at least escaped the afternoon problems, with two stoppages due to the threat of lightning meaning 54 players were unable to complete their first rounds on schedule.

Of those able to finish, South African Hennie Otto set the pace with a 65 with Spain's Ignacio Garrido a stroke behind and Greg Owen, Bradley Dredge and Switzerland's Paolo Quirici another shot adrift.