Clarke eyes maiden PGA Tour Champions win despite rules gaffe
Darren Clarke. Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Darren Clarke fired a 10-under 62 that included a one-stroke penalty for mistakenly preferring his lie to share the lead with Robert Karlsson heading into the final round of his final event of the season in Florida.
The Dungannon man (52) had just 24 putts to share the lead with the Swede on 13-under par in the TimberTech Championship at The Old Course at Broken Sound in Boca Raton, one stroke clear of Jim Furyk.
He knows he could have been at least one shot better yesterday but for a lapse of concentration on the second fairway, but he had few complaints after enjoying a rare hot day with the putter.
"Yeah, the last few weeks with the weather conditions, we've been ball in hand, marking it and placing it,” Clarke explained. "Get out there and Keith told us on the first tee, our starter, no placing today. Whatever. First hole, fine. Second hole, down the middle of the fairway, marked it, picked it up. Oops. One-shot penalty straightaway.
"Anyway, hit it over the back of the green, chipped it in for par. Holed one 30-footer on No. 9 and one 12-footer on No. 10 and everything else was about three, four feet.”
Clarke also shot 62 in the second round of the Sanford International in September but closed with a 70 to finish tied 12th.
This time he’s hoping he can finish strongly and claim his maiden win on the PGA Tour Champions in his 40th start since making his debut in August 2018
"I put myself in the position a few times since we got back out playing and I haven't been able to have a decent Sunday as yet, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow,” said Clarke, whose best finish is a tie for second place in last year’s Cologuard Classic.
"Maybe one of these days I am going to have one. Unfortunately with my S-10 visa situation, this is my last tournament, I can't play Phoenix next week. Let's hope I finish the year strong.
He birdied the first, third, sixth, seventh and ninth to turn in 31, then added further birdies at the 10th, 11th and 13th before hitting an eight-iron to three feet to set up an eagle three at the 507-yard 18th,
"Those are always nice ones, uphill slightly right to left, they're the sort of putts you want,” Clarke said, pleased with his efforts in what he described as “tricky” conditions.
"The wind was gusting a little bit and what have you, but it's the same for everybody,” he sad. "If you play it well -- the greens are receptive obviously and if you play it well, you give yourself opportunities.
"Today I read the greens better than I have for quite some time. But again, much easier to hole putts -- goes without saying -- if you hit it closer and today I managed to get my numbers pretty good and hit my distances. So when you're putting from there for birdies at times, it makes it a lot easier.”
As for his one-shot penalty, he said: "I've done it a few times. I keep doing stupid things at the moment, that's one of the bad things about getting older.
"I've done it at Tiger's tournament at Sherwood, I've done it somewhere else, played the wrong ball. I should probably be a little bit more attentive.
"You know, c'est la vie. 62, I'll still take a 62. 61 would have been nice, but a 62 is just fine with me."
Darren Clarke, 69-62—131 (-13)
Clarke carded eight birdies and an eagle on the final 18th hole to record a bogey-free 10-under 62. It matches his career-best round (10-under 62, R2/2020 Sanford International).
On the second hole, Clarke lifted his ball in the fairway when he mistakenly thought lift, clean and place was in effect. He incurred a one-stroke penalty and after he missed the green with his approach, he chipped in and saved par
Clarke is the 36-hole leader/co-leader for the second time on PGA TOUR Champions. He tied for the lead after 36 holes at the 2020 Sanford International but ultimately finished T11.
Clarke will play in Sunday’s final group for the third time in his last five starts (Sanford International, SAS Championship).
In 39 starts on PGA TOUR Champions, Clarke’s best finish came at the 2019 Cologuard Classic where he finished runner-up to Mark O’Meara by four strokes.
Clarke made 169 starts on the PGA TOUR and owns three victories. His last win came at the 2011 Open Championship.
A win on Sunday would be his first in 128 professional starts (40 PGA TOUR, 39 PGA TOUR Champions, 49 European Tour; WGCs and majors are counted as PGA TOUR starts only), and break a winless streak of 9 years, 3 months, and 15 days since his last win.
Robert Karlsson, 65-66—131 (-13)
Karlsson carded a bogey-free 6-under 66 in the second round to enter the final round tied for the lead for the first time on PGA TOUR Champions.
Karlsson has finished in the top 10 in six of his 11 starts in his rookie season on PGA TOUR Champions. His best finish came at the Hoag Classic when he finished runner-up to Ernie Els.
The Swede is seeking his first victory at a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event. Doug Barron (2019 DICK’S Sporting Goods Open) is the last player to make a PGA TOUR Champions tournament his first PGA TOUR-sanctioned win.
In 132 starts on the PGA TOUR from 1995-2016, Karlsson owns two runner-up finishes, 12 finishes in the top 10 and 30 finishes in the top 25.
Jim Furyk, 64-68—132 (-12)
Furyk finished the first round tied for the lead with John Daly, but a 4-under 68 in the second round leaves him one stroke behind Clarke and Karlsson.
Furyk won The Ally Challenge and PURE Insurance Championship and is one of three players in Tour history (Bruce Fleisher, Phil Mickelson) to win each of his first two starts. Both of these victories were come-from- behind wins.
He is one of three rookies (Mickelson, Ernie Els) with two victories this season. The last rookie with more than two victories was Fred Couples, who won four times in 2010.
Should Furyk go on to win tomorrow, he would become the only player on PGA TOUR Champions with three victories this season.
