The cure for ills of a golfing nature don't usually call for playing in strong winds, and the gusts which swept across the Oxfordshire countryside yesterday were definitely not what the various swing doctors ordered for their men. Yet, ironically, a number of players who haven't been in the full of their health so far this season found some comfort in the tough conditions which prevailed in the first round of the Benson and Hedges International Open.
Among those to demonstrate signs of recovery were Nick Faldo, who had forsaken the stubble of the previous day, Sandy Lyle, a man playing in his first European Tour event since last August and someone, if you were to listen to Colin Montgomerie, who possesses more talent in his little finger than any other player on the circuit. Faldo shot 68, Lyle a 69. And, then, there was Darren Clarke.
Clarke has endured a miserable season, but yesterday more than hinted that he is on the way back.
In a season in which he was a combined 70 over par for his seven previous tournaments he was happy to shoot red figures for a change. Nevertheless, the defending champion's round of two-under-par 70 left him trailing leaders Phillip Price of Wales and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez by five shots on a day of quite remarkable scoring in conditions which mixed heavy downfalls of rain with constant stiff winds. Incredibly, 60 players shot sub-par rounds.
"I feel everything is coming together," insisted Clarke. "I know I can't make all the birdie putts, but shooting 70 is a lot better than 76 or 77." One area did cause concern, however. He hit only four fairways off the tee and headed off to the range for some remedial work almost as soon as he finished. "I was striking the ball so well before heading out, and that's normally the strength of my game," he added.
Indeed, Clarke produced one of the shots of the day. On the 16th, he drove his ball into the bank above a fairway bunker. Improvising wonderfully, with the ball 24 inches above his feet, he stood in the bunker, went down the shaft on a three-wood and with the flag 197 yards away hit the ball to 10 feet. Unfortunately, he missed the putt.
Padraig Harrington also shot 70 and his round was all the more noteworthy for the fact that he was twice in water and, on each occasion, still made par. Both visits to the water came at par fives: the 11th, where he was in water off the tee, and the fourth.
Having started at the 10th, Harrington turned one-over but came back in 33 thanks to birdies at the first, fifth, seventh and eighth with a lone bogey at the second. "I'm a lot happier with my swing, but I still need to work on my short game. No matter how well you are swinging, it all comes down to how many it takes to get in the hole," he said.
The only other Irish player to break par was John McHenry, who shot a 71, and for a long time it looked as if the Corkman was destined to carve out a really good round. McHenry was four-underpar standing on the 16th tee box but proceeded to bogey the last three holes.
Paul McGinley played what he considered "average golf" for a 72, while Eamonn Darcy, who had five birdies and two nightmarish sevens (astonishingly without visiting water) on his card, also handed in a 72. Des Smyth shot 74 and Philip Walton endured a terrible finish, in which he was four over for the final four holes, for a 75.
The pace yesterday was set by Jimenez, a man who likes to drive fast, particularly his Ferrari 550, when away from the course, and Price, someone once voted Mr Pontypridd (ahead of Neil Jenkins). An unlikely duo to be first round leaders, even if Jimenez has produced some remarkable golf since acting as Ryder Cup vicecaptain to Seve Ballesteros in Valderrama. What's the secret of his new success? "I look in the mirror every day and tell myself that I'm the greatest player in the world," he said.
Unaware that the Spaniard possessed a sense of humour, Montgomerie was startled to find that anyone could shoot 65 on such a course in such conditions. "I think Jimenez is playing very well and will be in our Ryder Cup team. He's a real threat in any tournament he plays in Europe. I don't know how good his English is, because no-one actually finds out. I'm sure he is a character in Malaga," said the Scot.
But, then, the ominous warning. "There are 21 miles to go yet, seven miles each round, and that's a long way," insisted Montgomerie. Faldo, due to play alongside Ryder Cup captain Mark James again, is thinking similarly. "Two 65s, that's pretty impressive," he said. "I walked off my ninth green at four-under feeling pretty pleased with myself until I saw the scoreboard. You just have to work hard and keep at it." Time to grind.
