GOLF: AN HOUR before noon yesterday, as the clouds hid the peaks of the MacGillycuddy Reeks across the lake, Darren Clarke lined up one putt after another on the practice green. The party over, he was back to business and eager to prepare.

The British Open champion was one of the first players to register for the Irish Open, which starts here at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club on Thursday.

He had driven down from Belfast in a black Ferrari 612 Scagliette, a car befitting a champion, and with the number plates 60 DC in recognition of his career-low rounds of 60 at Monte Carlo and The K Club in bygone days.

On arrival, Clarke had handed in the Claret Jug to the tournament office, its first tournament outing coming rather appropriately at one that will serve as something of a homecoming for golf’s newest Major champion.

Incidentally, the Ferrari was not a present to himself for his British Open triumph at Sandwich: he’s had it for a year-and-a-half.

All four of Ireland’s Major champions are, as you’d expect, in the field here, which has created a huge demand for tickets that initially surged after Rory McIlroy’s US Open win last month and then spiked with Clarke’s victory in Sandwich.

Was his early arrival a signal of intent?

“No. I’ve been more or less in bed for the last couple of days and stayed down in Belfast last night, so I was up early, wide awake, and hit the road. I was trying to miss the traffic in Dublin around the M50 . . . I’ve a bit of a cold, taking Day Nurse and Night Nurse, but I’ll be alright.”

This week’s Irish Open means it really is a case of back to business for the 42-year-old Ulsterman, who competes in Killarney and then moves on for a two-week stint in the US, where he plays the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and then the final Major of the season, the US PGA Championship at Atlanta.

And, while yesterday’s first practice round over the Killeen course, which has been lengthened by just 27 yards to 7,161, marked the start of his preparations, Clarke has played a little golf at home over the past week.

“I did a company thing for Sky on Thursday and I played my mates at home – Luis Figo, The Bear and Rock Star – on Friday at Bushfoot in Portballintrae, and then I played 13 holes with Tyrone and Conor (on Sunday) at Royal Portrush. I played shocking, but I played,” said Clarke.

Clarke’s win in the British Open added to already healthy advance ticket sales for the tournament.

“I heard the ticket sales were going through the roof anyway with Rory and G-Mac and Pádraig here anyway. It’ll be good. It’s great if they have sold so many tickets and getting people to support our national open, which is brilliant.

“I hope they get the big crowds again . . . and we get the good weather.”

He added: “The last week has been a whirlwind for me in every way, doing this, that and the other all over the place. It’s been a fantastic week, but very tiring. I couldn’t think of anything better than to come back and play in the Irish Open a week after, it’s just wonderful.”

Although Pete Cowan is Clarke’s swing coach, he also touches base – so to speak – with Ewan Murray, the former tour player and now Sky Sports commentator, on matters of his swing. And Murray yesterday made the observation that Clarke’s breakthrough win could well be replicated in other Majors.

“I think we’ll now see the Darren Clarke that we’ve all wanted to see for the last 20 years . . . he’ll be a much more relaxed person now. He has nothing to prove anymore; he knows he can do it and he has done it. I think he’ll still be the same wonderful player, but probably with a very different attitude.”

Refusing to take too much credit for the win, and paying tribute to Bob Rotella’s ability to get the player into a relaxed state, Murray added: “I think once you have a swing at the age of 25, it’s probably not going to change very much. Technically, Darren’s a little lazy and in the more important things – like the basic fundamentals of the game – he can get a little lax in attitude.

“But most of my work has been broken down as a friend. I don’t see myself as Darren Clarke’s coach, that man is Pete Cowan. He is the technical operator as far as the swing is concerned and he’s much more scientific, for want of a better way of putting it, than I would be.”