Tyrone’s Darren Clarke will be a happy man after Thursday’s first day of the Sketchers World Champions Cup as the 57-year-old Europe captain helped his team lead by four and a half points heading into Friday’s round two, closing out their day one on 57 points.
Each day consisting of two nine hole matches, the morning round began with a six ball format where each member of a two-man team plays his own ball, so six golf balls are in play on every hole. Each team counts the lowest of its two scores on each hole. In group one, Clarke, who was paired with Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn for the day, faced USA’s Stewart Cink and Jason Caron, as well as Steven Alker and Mike Weir who represent team Internationals.
Clarke and Bjorn closed out the morning round with 10 points, as did the International’s whilst the American’s could only manage seven points. Elsewhere in the groupings, Mark Hensby and Y.E. Yang earned 10.5 points for the Internationals, ahead of Jerry Kelly and Steve Flesch of the USA who earned nine, and Miguel Angel Jimenez and Colin Montgomerie of Europe who earned 7.5 points.
Montgomerie is filling in for Bernhard Langer as the German battles an illness. Langer is eager to get out on the course before the end of the tournament. “I seem to be improving everyday a little bit, the energy is a bit low but I’m hoping to be in some kind of action over the next few days,” said Langer.
In the final grouping for the morning session, Europe’s Alex Cejka and Soren Kjeldsen earned 10.5 points, pipping USA’s Steve Stricker and Justin Leonard who earned nine, and Internationals K.J. Choi and Angel Carbrera who earned 7.5 points.
Closing out the morning session, Europe were tied with the Internationals on 28 points, with the USA three back on 25 points.
The afternoon round consisted of a sixsome format, where both players in each two-man team will tee off on every hole. One ball is chosen and then alternate strokes are then played to complete the hole.
Driving on from the momentum of the morning round, Clarke and Bjorn continued to impress around Feather Sound Country Club in Clearwater, Florida, as the pair earned at least one point per hole, logging a further 11 points for team Europe.
Speaking on their partnership, Bjorn said; “We have a lot of experience playing together and winning at Madison eariler this year and knowing that if we put the ball in the right places one of us will look after the hole in this format.”
Jimenez and Montgomerie added a further 8.5 points for Europe in their match, as well as Cejka and Kjeldsen who earned 9.5 points in theirs, against the same opponents.
Heading into the second day of the Skechers World Champions Cup, Europe sit on 57 points as both USA and the Internationals sit on 52.5 points each.
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