Greens game hurts level-par Clarke

A day of misery on the greens at the British Masters today left Ireland's Darren Clarke in despair about next week's US Open.

A day of misery on the greens at the British Masters today left Ireland's Darren Clarke in despair about next week's US Open.

"I can't compete putting the way I have been - and it's irrelevant what the tournament is," said the Ulsterman, after a level-par 72 containing 35 putts in the third round at the Forest of Arden.

"My golf's good enough tee to green, and I don't know what I'm going to do about it because I've tried everything. No matter what, it's not going in the hole," he said.

Asked about the second major of the year Clarke, only two under par with a round to go, trailed off his answer with the words "if I'm there". But with that inevitably raising a further question, he quickly added: "I'm jesting."

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The 34-year-old Ryder Cup star flies to Chicago on a private jet tomorrow night, but it needs a miracle now for it to be with a third victory at the course under his belt.

Clarke's English Open win at the midlands venue last June was his last anywhere -and with that event no longer on the European tour schedule he does not have a current title to his name.

PA