IF THOMAS BJORN - plagued by a bad back and poor form - needed any inspiration, a reason to know there is always light at the end of the tunnel, he'd need to look no further than his friend Darren Clarke.

Yesterday, on a range at Wentworth that was as crowded as a London Underground station, Bjorn - who didn't play in the pro-am as a precaution to save his back for the real thing - outlined just how pleased he was to see Clarke back in the swing of things and not only contending again, but actually winning titles.

"It's good to see. It's been well documented what Darren's been through," the Dane said. "He went through the Ryder Cup (at The K Club) in a good way, but we are here in an individual sport. It's about personal achievement, and it was a long way back for him from where he was.

"You've got to claw yourself out of the hole and get back to it, and that gives a lot of encouragement to a lot of people," said Bjorn, who has fallen to 161st in the world rankings.

Indeed, Bjorn, the chairman of the players' committee, is glad to see Clarke's revival for another reason. While delighted that so many new players are breathing fresh life in the European Tour, Bjorn made the point: "When you've been out here for a long, long time like Darren has, people take note. You start looking at such big changes in the tour, but you (also) need familiar faces . . . and Darren is a familiar face.

"We need guys like that to play well. We just can't hand over to a new generation straight away. We've got Lee (Westwood) playing well and Darren is playing well again. I mean, you need guys like that. There's a lot of weight on those shoulders. As much as the new guys are great guys, they are not all household names. Darren and Lee are, they've created a profile for the tour and we need that. And, on a personal note, you always want to see your friends do well."

While Bjorn believes Clarke is a player any captain would want in his Ryder Cup team - "if you pick 12, then you want him in" - he doesn't hold out hopes of reviving his own game for Valhalla.

"I'm at the stage in my golf game where it is all about me. There's 12 and more (players) who are better than me at the moment, let them play and do the best they can. I'll concentrate on my golf and try to get back on track and where I want to be. Then, I can play and be amongst the best 12 players in Europe. But, at the moment, no."

Clarke, for his part, is looking forward to playing the PGA here this week. For a change, he gets to stay at home; and he has played well here in the past.

"The course is great, starting to play fast and you've got to shape the ball a lot. I really like the golf course and I'm happy with the way I am hitting it."