Akron, Aug 26: The 35-year-old Clarke, always been highly regarded by his peers, has been one of Europe's most consistent performers over the last eight years. But, as world number one Woods pointed out on Sunday, the Ulsterman has tended to vary between the brilliant and the rank ordinary.
"That's the way he plays," said Woods, who got to within two strokes of Clarke after eight holes in the final round before falling back into a tie for fourth. "He's either playing great and winning tournaments or missing cuts. That's the way Darren is. When he gets on a roll...the better he plays, the faster he walks and gets after it."
Davis Love III, whose closing 69 lifted him into third place on Sunday, also rates Clarke highly. "I think any time he gets near the lead, he plays very, very well," said Love. "When he's on his game, he's one of the best players out here. "But sometimes he tries a little bit too hard, instead of letting it happen, he's trying to make it happen."
Clarke, who played without his trademark cigars at Firestone after leaving his holders at his England home, is aware of his tendency to push too hard. On Sunday, though, he felt entirely comfortable playing at a slower pace.

"I was really slow all day," he said. "I don't know how I managed to do it, but I was. I was just wandering around...just hitting it and finding it and hitting it again. I wish I could do it more often."



Armed this year with a new driver and ball, Clarke has become one of the biggest hitters in the game. But it was his inspired putting, more than anything else, that kept him on track for victory on Sunday.



His 100 putts for the four rounds ranked third for the week but he led the field in putts per green in regulation.



"I've tried to become a lot more stationery over the ball and not move as much," he said of his putting strategy. "Some weeks you look down the greens and...you manage to find the middle of the hole. Some weeks it works, some weeks it doesn't.



"To finish number one in putting is a major achievement for me."



Clarke's manager Andrew Chandler told reporters this year that the Northern Irishman was ready to reach a higher level of consistency.



"He's a slow maturer, but there's been a huge difference in mental approach the last six months," Chandler said. "We've always known how talented he is as a player and I think he will realise all his potential," he added of a man who who has twice fired rounds of 60 on the European Tour.


Bureau Report