Portuguese Open Update: Although Darren Clarke shot to the top of the leaderboard on the opening day of the Portuguese Open he was unable to sustain the early momentum and eventually signed for a three-under 68 at Oitavos Dunes.
It is no secret Clarke has struggled to regain his form of old and now finds himself a lowly 240th in the world rankings. It also means the 39-year-old will next week's US Masters - the first major of the year - for the first time since making his debut 10 years ago.
Clarke was quickly out of the blocks to record three birdies in five holes before an eagle three at the par five 16th, his seventh, plus another birdie got him to six-under and three clear of the field. However, the inward stretch wasn't as easily negotiated and three bogeys took some of the shine off a good day's work.
At three-under par, the five-time Ryder Cup player is five behind joint leaders Pablo Martin and Gregory Bourdy who both set new course records with 63s.
After three-putting three times and also visiting the trees at the sixth with what he called his only bad drive of the round, Clarke was asked if he was taking the positives out of his performance.
"Not right now," he said. "My game is fine, but I'm wasting shots — any momentum I am getting I am giving back."
Playing partner Simon Dyson, who shot 67, commented: "Darren was flying. It was a shame he three-putted the 18th (their 11th) because we could have witnessed something special.
"Until then he had not missed a shot and had not missed a putt — the hole must have looked like a dustbin."
David Howell and Paul McGinley, the other members of the 2006 Ryder Cup team who are playing in the event after failing to qualify for next week's Masters, shot 67 and 69 respectively, while Oliver Fisher, beaten in a play-off by Thomas Levet in Spain last Sunday after leading by two with two holes to go, matched Clarke's 68.
As for 18-year-old boy wonder Rory McIlroy, he was two feet away from winning a BMW sports car on the 348-yard 11th. At the downhill par four it is on offer for a hole in one, and his marvellous three-wood shot gave him an eagle two.
After 15 holes he stood four under but he lost ground when he double-bogeyed the 18th, having a double hit after his drive finished close to an out of bounds fence, and had to settle for a 69.
