Golf-Clarke eyes debut major after making the most of his luck

SANDWICH, England July 16 (Reuters) - Twenty years after his first crack at the British Open, Darren Clarkegoes into Sunday’s final round with his best chance of winning it after a one-under par third-round 69 gave him a one shot lead at Royal St George’s on Saturday.

Clarke tied for second in 1997 and tied for third in 2001 but though he has not managed so much as a top-10 finish in any of the four majors since then, he said he never gave up hope that he could still mount a challenge.

Asked by a reporter if he still believed in himself coming into the tournament the 42-year-old did not even wait for the end of the question before barking out “yes”.

“Did I ever doubt I would get myself back in this position? No,” he said. “Did I know it was going to happen? No. Did I hope it was going to happen? Yes. But did I ever doubt? No.”

Clarke’s talent has never been doubted and when he combines it with the right mindset, as he has so often in a sparkling Ryder Cup career, he is a match for anyone.

Yet, into his 40s and his 22nd year as a professional, few would have marked him down as a potential winner this week and possibly the third Northern Irishman to lift a major within 14 months after Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy’s back-to-back triumphs in the U.S. Open.

“I was once given a quote from Ken Brown before my first Ryder Cup in Valderrama in 1997,” Clarke said of his former European team mate.

“‘Don’t let your golf game determine your attitude, let your attitude determine your golf game.’

“If my attitude is good, then the ball-striking is going to be good. If my attitude is not so good, then nothing is going to be any good. My attitude has been very good this week, and it’s shown in the way I’m hitting the ball.”

Having spent most of the day watching his potential rivals drop shots all over the course in foul wind and rain, Clarke got off to the ideal start when he became the first and only man to birdie the first.

Two more birdies and two bogies followed as he undoubtedly benefited from the best of the day’s weather, playing his back nine in almost balmy conditions.

Had a few of several desperately close birdie putts dropped in he would be going to bed with a healthy lead, instead of the single shot he holds overDustin Johnson.

Rickie Fowler and Thomas Bjorn are a further two shots back on two-under, with Miguel Angel Jimenez and Lucas Glover both on one-under.

“If somebody had given me 69 before I was going out to play I would have bitten their hand off for it,” Clarke said.

“Sometimes to win any tournament the draw can make a big difference but in the Open Championship it makes a huge difference. We got very lucky. We started off in terrible conditions and then it sort of cleared up after four or five holes.

“But all in all, I couldn’t have hit the ball any better from tee to green.

“The Open is the biggest and best tournament in the world. “I’ve failed 19 times and tomorrow I have an opportunity.

“At the moment it’s just an opportunity because the weather is going to be very windy again tomorrow. There’s a long way to go still in this championship.”