Last chance Augusta saloon for Clarke

By Brian Keogh

Darren Clarke has a last gasp chance to seal his Masters place by winning in Texas this week.

But the Shell Houston Open at Redstone will also give Irish aces Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy a final opportunity to get their games in shape so they can stop Tiger Woods marching to a 15th Major title at Augusta.

While Harrington slipped up with bogeys at the 16th and 18th to share 11th place in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, Woods roared back into the winner's circle with a dramatic final hole birdie.

Now it's Clarke's turn to grab his first PGA Tour win since he lifted the WGC-NEC Invitational in Akron nearly six years ago.

The Ulsterman, ranked 78th in the world this week, failed to make the top 50 before Sunday night's Masters cut off.

But like his pal Davis Love III  - edged out of the top 50 by Louis Oostuizen by four hundredths of a world ranking point yesterday - Clarke can still make it to Augusta for the 11th time if he wins this week.

He faces a mammoth task against a top class field that includes seven of the world's top ten.

However, the news that his old caddie Billy Foster could be ready to team up with him again could be just the boost he needs to get back to the top.