Press conference - Darren Clarke

JULIUS MASON: Ladies and gentlemen, while you are filing in, Darren is going to go ahead and go through his card, and then we will go to Q&A.

Darren, if you wouldn't mind birdies, bogeys.

DARREN CLARKE: The 2nd, I hit driver, 5-wood on to the green to about 20 feet and 2-putted for birdie.

Then all pars all way around to No. 7. I hit driver, 3-wood just over the back of the green; chipped it back to about a foot. Holed it.

Number 9, I hit driver off the tee, pushed it into the right-hand rough. Played an 8-iron; didn't get it into the right-hand trap; short-sided the flag; hit it out to about eight feet and missed it.

No. 10, I hit driver on the fairway, 3-wood just over the back of the green. Good chip down to about six feet. Holed it.

No. 13, I had 3-iron pitching wedge to about 9 inches. Holed it.

14, I hit 4-iron to about eight feet. Holed it.

16, I hit driver middle of the fairway, got little bit greedy with an 8-iron; pulled it short-sided. No chance on to the green, to about 30 feet, two putts.

Last, hit good drive 5-wood into the front trap. Hit a nice bunker shot out to about four feet. Holed it for birdie.

Clarke on the 1st. Allsport.

JULIUS MASON: Thank you. Terrific round. Some thoughts, please.

DARREN CLARKE: I hit the ball very solid. I drove it very well. So obviously, of course, I need to be in the fairways going into some of these pins. Albeit they are generous, the fairways, but actually my strike was very good today; so was able to control what I wanted to do with the ball, and that obviously makes it a lot easier.

Q. Obviously, it is a long, long way to go, but if you got in a situation on Sunday where you and Tiger --

DARREN CLARKE: I'd love it.

Q. -- played in the last group, what would your experience at La Costa, the big one this year, how much confidence would that give you?

DARREN CLARKE: This is another tournament. This is completely different. But, you know, I get on really well with Tiger. We are good friends. We joke a bit, mess around a bit. I enjoy being in his company. And if that were the case, to give myself the chance to compete against the world's No. 1, that would be fantastic. But there is a long way to go yet.

Q. You birdied all par 5s today. Is that one of the keys on this golf course?

DARREN CLARKE: Well, I had a bit of time with Butch this morning down on the range and before Tiger come along, and he picked out a couple of things in my swing. And he said to me, about going out to play, he says, "You have got to make birdies on the par 5s. The rest of the holes, aim everything for the middle of the green and take your chances from there."

And that is what I managed to do, barring two times where I short-sided myself.

Q. Mr. Fraser called you, Colin and Westwood tubs of lard.

DARREN CLARKE: For Mr. Fraser's benefit I am 16 - 2. I feel good.

Q. Does it upset you?

DARREN CLARKE: I am fine. I am very happy where I am at the moment. I am fine.

Q. Not in reference to that, but how are you handling the heat and humidity?

DARREN CLARKE: Pretty good today. I feel okay. Obviously, my shirt's a little bit wet and what-have-you because it was hot and humid out there. I was drinking plenty of water. I felt fine, strong all the way around.

Q. Can you just tell us what Butch said to you?

DARREN CLARKE: What about?

Q. Technically?

DARREN CLARKE: He said my right hip was raising up on my backswing and it was causing me to come down pretty steep down into the ball; so that is just one of my many faults.

Q. Did Tiger actually take Butch away from you?

DARREN CLARKE: No. I said, "Go if you must," (laughter), and he did.

Q. Do you feel more comfortable now than you would have done, say, in this situation twelve months ago?

DARREN CLARKE: Yeah, probably. The better I play, obviously, the more comfortable I feel. And you know, this is a major. I want to start to get myself into contention, and hopefully, this is just another step along that line.

Q. There was a lot of the players coming off of talking about the pin placements. Could you give us your impressions?

DARREN CLARKE: They were tough. They were very tough. There was -- as I said in my other interview over there that 25 feet on a lot of holes was a really good shot. If you taking on those pins, you are looking at bogeys and doubles and worse, so they were tough.

Q. Did you get the feeling that you are going to have to keep scoring at this rate or is it going to take something --

DARREN CLARKE: I would imagine so. I think there is birdies out there. There is birdie opportunities and people are going to make birdies but it is whoever is going to make the least mistakes. I know that sounds pretty obvious, but you can make them pretty easily out here - is going to be the guy coming out on top.

JULIUS MASON: Darren Clarke, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much.

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