Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, Ryder Cup partners and close friends for so long, suffered the agony and the ecstasy in the Compass Group English Open at the Forest of Arden today. Clarke, winner of the event two of the last three years, shared the first round lead with Australian Jarrod Moseley after a seven under par 65.
But Westwood, 20 months on now from his last win and down to 78th in the world, withdrew after only five holes. What he hopes is nothing more than a trapped nerve left the former European number one with pins and needles in his left arm and although he was one under par at the time he thought it best to pull out.
Clarke will fly to New York on Concorde on Monday, he hopes with his first victory since last July under his belt. He reckoned a 65 was the worst he could have shot after abandoning the same belly putter which Colin Montgomerie - resting this week - has employed to such good effect in the past month.
"It's now gathering dust in the garage," said the Ulsterman. "In the first five holes last Sunday I didn't hit it outside eight feet and didn't make any of them. Then I bogeyed the sixth and at that point it did well not to become a flying object. It could also have become a short putter very easily. I thought I'd try something else to see if I could hole some and I gave it a go for a couple of weeks, but it wasn't for me. Not yet anyway."
The change back to conventional size worked a treat. Clarke did three putt the long seventh for par, but seven birdies elsewhere made it his best day's work in Europe this season.
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
