DARREN CLARKE, whose immediate ambition is to be selected on the European Ryder Cup team, shot a superb three under par 68 in the first round of the Loch Lomond World Invitational Tournament yesterday and admitted he had become a new player in the past month.

Clarke, who finished the day just one shot behind leader Jamie Spence and shares second place with Nick Faldo and Argentinian Jose Coceres, has been having lessons from English club professional Peter Cowen, said: "I've never played better."

Yesterday, on the most difficult course seen on the European Tour, he made only three mistakes and has only to show the same class and confidence to be challenging strongly for the £125,000 first prize on Sunday.

His first error came at the seventh where hit a bad tee shot behind some trees. Yet, Clarke lofted a seven iron over the top to within 40 feet from the flag and holed the putt for his first birdie of the day.

Mistake number two came at the 12th where he hit an eight iron approach to the left of the green and could not play directly for the pin. "I just made sure I'd hit the green some 30 feet from the hole," he said, "and down it went for a lucky par".

Only one of his three errors cost him a shot. At the 15th he struck a seven iron just short of the green, found a dreadful lie and could only make a bogey five.

But, as he said later, "I played the first nine really well and over the back nine I scrambled like crazy. Peter Cowen, has really got me going, especially with my short game. I would have struggled to get round this course a month ago."

Eamonn Darcy shot a level par 71 and Ronan Rafferty 73 and one would have thought that Darcy would have been the more pleased of the two. But this was far from the case. Darcy was going very well after 14 holes at which point he was three under par and looking as if he might take the outright lead.

Then, at the 15th hole, he hit his drive into the water on the right, and because he had not seen where it had gone in he had to ask for a ruling as to where to play his next shot. He then hit a four iron short of the green after a long delay and three putted from there for a double bogey six.

He then dropped another shot at the last hole where he found greenside bunker. A possible 68 became a 71 and Darcy, clearly upset, refused to answer questions on his round.

Rafferty, in contrast, was all smiles after his 73. "This course is absolutely fabulous," he said. "If only all European tournaments were played on courses as good as this."

We do have some great courses but unfortunately we cannot always get permission to play on them. To stage a major tournament it takes at least eight weeks to prepare and it is a big disruption for the members. So, not all clubs are prepared to take us on board."

Rafferty was level par after 15 holes but even a double bogey six at the 16th could not spoil his good mood.

Paul McGinley shot a 72 and he was highly satisfied with his score. But Des Smyth (75), Padraig Harrington (76), David Higgins (70) and Philip Walton (80) may be struggling to make the halfway cut today.

Harrington, however, had one consolation. Raymond Russell his rival, for the Rookie of the Year spot, also took a 76, so he still has a chance of going ahead of Russell if he can produce better form in today's second round.

As for the big guns, Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and Ian Woosnam there is little doubt that Faldo will sleep more soundly after his 68.

Montgomerie shot 72 and Woosnam 73 so they are still in contention, but cannot afford any slip ups in the second round.

None of the three, however, can complain. Some of their Ryder Cup colleagues had disastrous rounds. Apart from Walton's 80, Sam Torrance and Per Ulrik Johansson both shot 79, Howard Clarke shot 82, and Mark James, who had a at the 15th hole, shot 83. Loch Lomond can certainly be very demanding.