Darren Clarke is currently sunning himself on a family holiday in Mauritius, but he will return to tournament action in South Africa next week. While his European colleagues are at the Heineken Classic in Perth, Australia, Clarke will be back in Sun City for a South African Tour event.
As a pipe-opener to a season in which he is placing special emphasis on the major championships, Clarke will be in a select field for the Dimension Data event, along with Nick Price and Lee Westwood, among others.
On a visit to Sun City before Christmas, Clarke shot 129 for the closing 36 holes when finishing third behind Ernie Els in the Million Dollar Challenge.
One of the more interesting aspects of Clarke's close-season activities is that he has maintained an intensive practice schedule. All of which contrasts sharply with last year, when he took six weeks off during the winter and then seemed to take an eternity to regain the competitive edge.
"That was a big mistake," he conceded yesterday. "And the fact that I'm determined not to repeat it, shows at least that I am willing to learn."
It will be recalled that Clarke missed the cut in the Malaysian Open last February in his first event of the 1999 season. And in his next two European starts, he was 62nd and 33rd before missing the cut once more. And his fortunes in the US were equally dismal, culminating in a missed cut in the Masters.
Though he shot four successive rounds in the sixties to capture the English Open at Hanbury Manor in early June, the latter part of the season contained much grief for the Ulsterman. Notably, there was the manner in which he blew a six-stroke, 54-hole lead in the European Open at the K Club, and then lost in play-offs for the Taiheiyo Masters in Japan and the South African Players' Championship at Royal Cape.
"Losing to Nic Henning at Royal Cape just about summed up my year," he went on. "But I've been able to take a much more detached view of things and I've concluded that I made massive strides in 1999.
"I've even been able to take a positive view of losing out on the chance of a 59 at the K Club. After all, there weren't many players shooting tournament rounds of 60 last season, on either side of the Atlantic."
Clarke added: "I believe I have a very well-balanced schedule for the coming season in which my main focus will be on the majors. Having had top-10 finishes in the Masters (in 1998) and the US Open (1999), I know I can compete at the highest level. So my target now is to get myself into contention, entering the last nine holes. I want to be in the shake-up.
"The way I feel right now, I feel I'm set for a very good year."
Interestingly, his American activities will be quite limited. He plays the Los Angeles Open at Pacific Palisades on February 17th to 20th, followed by the Andersen Consulting World Matchplay at La Costa.
Then he returns to "Europe" for the Desert Classic in Dubai, but will be back in the US for the Bay Hill Invitational on March 16th to 19th, followed by the Players Championship at Sawgrass. At Bay Hill he will have his first meeting of the year with coach Butch Harmon.
As it happens, his only other planned American appearances will be in the Masters, the US Open, the USPGA Championship and the NEC Championship at Firestone. But he may try to play the Buick Classic at Westchester in the week prior to the US Open at Pebble Beach on June 15th to 18th.
In all, Clarke will play 28 or 29 tournaments for the year, including the Irish Open which ends at Ballybunion on July 2nd, followed by the European Open at the K Club.
This week's European tour action is in the South African Open at the Randpark Club in Johannesburg. James Loughnane is the only Irish player in the field at this stage, but Gary Murphy will be attempting to get through pre-qualifying today.
Murphy missed the cut in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Houghton Park last weekend, mainly as a result of having his spectacles stolen from his golf bag on the eve of the tournament. He was unable to acquire replacements until the Saturday, by which stage he had lost the chance of surviving the cut.
While Murphy is attempting to secure his status as a regular tour player, compatriot Peter Lawrie will be concentrating on the Challenge Tour this season. Lawrie, who is currently practising in Florida, has acquired an interesting new coach.
He is being handled by former tour player Adam Hunter, whose best-known pupil happens to be a namesake of the Dubliner's. Indeed, Paul Lawrie laid great store in Hunter's contribution to his remarkable British Open triumph at Carnoustie last July.
Footnote: As expected, the globe-trotting European Tour is to have a two-week stop-off in Brazil this spring. After last November's announcement of the Brazil 500 Years Open at Sao Paulo GC on March 30th to April 2nd, it was confirmed yesterday that the Brazil Rio de Janeiro 500 Years Open will be played the previous week at the Itanhanga GC.
