Golf News round-upDarren Clarke will return to action later this month in the South African Open. Clarke pulled out of the Nelson Mandela Invitational and the Nedbank Challenge, both in South Africa, in November after his wife, Heather, was diagnosed with cancer.
However, the 36-year-old Ryder Cup star is sufficiently satisfied with Heather's progress and recent medical reports that he is ready to return for the 2005 season, starting in Durban on January 20th.
"Heather and I have been astounded by the amount of get-well cards, texts and e-mails we have received since it became known that she was ill," said Clarke, who revealed he will donate all the prize-money he wins in Durban to the Tsunami Relief Appeal.
"There is still some way to go, but Heather's oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital is satisfied Heather is responding well to her treatment and is happy with her progress.
"And nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be able to put the winner's cheque (of €123,000) into the Tsunami fund.
"Golf has been placed into perspective after what has happened at home and elsewhere."
Meanwhile, Tom Lehman has acted quickly by naming former team-mates Corey Pavin and Loren Roberts as his assistant captains for next year's Ryder Cup at the K Club.
Pavin played against Europe in 1991, 1993 and 1995, while Roberts was also a member of the 1995 side beaten at Oak Hill.
"Corey and Loren are close friends and contemporaries of mine," said Lehman, controversially made captain following the record American defeat in Detroit in September.
"When the pressure is on, these are the guys I want around me. They have proven to be extremely tough competitors and have risen to the occasion numerous times in their careers."
British caddie Dave Renwick is prepared to give up the most lucrative bag in the game because he no longer enjoys working for world number one Vijay Singh.
Renwick, who caddied for seven of Singh's nine US PGA Tour victories in 2004, is likely to have been paid around $1 million last year by the Fijian, who became the first player to earn more than $10 million in a single tour season.
However, the pair have not worked together since the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Hawaii last November, with Edinburgh-based Renwick opting to spend time at home with his family.
"We're still friends, but I wasn't enjoying working for Vijay, even though I was making a lot of money," Renwick said. "I'd wake up in the morning and not really look forward to the day's work.
"There's been very little fun working for Vijay, even during practice rounds," added the Scot, who first caddied for Singh between 1997 and 2000, then for a second spell over the last half of 2003 and for most of last year.
Three-time major winner Singh is renowned for the amount of time he spends in practice, routinely hitting 500 balls in a day.
"I don't mind being on the range, but my time with Vijay has been all work, all hard graft," added Renwick. "For the last few months, I've just been hanging out at home and spending time with my wife and family. I've joined a gym to get into shape. I'll be ready to go back to work.
"However, if Vijay was wanting to take me back, I'd consider it. I'll be speaking with him early in March."
Singh, who chose to end the pair's initial spell together in 2000, paid tribute to Renwick last year.
"Dave is a long-time friend," he said. "He was my caddie for three years before and is just such a hard worker. He's there and is very grumpy most of the time but in a good way.
"I'm pretty happy with his work and I guess he's happy with what he's been rewarded with."
Renwick was on Singh's bag for all three of his major victories: the 1998 US PGA Championship at Sahalee, the 2000 US Masters and last year's US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
"I'm not retired," he said. "If I don't come back with Vijay, I'll look for someone else."
