Scottish Open: Clarke eyes foiling an italian job

Published on Friday 9 July 2010 17:32

At LAST, the Barclays Scottish Open caught a break - or a bit of a break. We're talking small mercies here, folks.

• On the level: Darren Clarke showed plenty of panache as he kept up his fine form. Photograph: Jane Barlow

We've spent the week huddling under umbrellas like drowned rats, looking up at the miserable skies and wondering what the hell happened to the summer, looking and listening to the Michael Fish wannabes in the galleries bringing depressing updates from the south. "It's 30 degrees in Richmond, everybody. Oh, hang on, it's just gone to 31 in Kensington!"

Yesterday's reduced rainfall didn't exactly put broad smiles on the weather-beaten faces of golf-loving Scots, but it was an improvement. If you weren't guaranteed a good soaking, you'd have taken your hat off to the fans because they turned out in tremendous numbers despite the foul conditions, despite knowing that some of the stellar names in this field had been washed off the premises and onto to the motorway heading for St Andrews after missing the cut on Friday.

The sight of Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Martin Kaymer, Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen departing the tournament early would have been enough to have the good folk from Barclays catapulting themselves into the loch, particularly since their all-star names didn't seem all that upset to be saying farewell. "It's probably best that I get out of here," said Els. "It's probably best that you button your trap," said the man from Barclays. Or might have said, had he not been struck dumb by the amount of glamour disappearing out the main gate.

This was a terrific day, though. With due respect to some of the men who made strong moves - admirable citizens such as Peter Hedblom (joint third after 69) and Shane Lowry (tied for fifth after 66) - the great appeal of this tournament rested on its marquee name, overnight leader Darren Clarke, keeping himself in contention, while hoping for a charge from one of the fascinating Molinari brothers of Turin.

And we got all that and more. Indeed, they're going out as a threeball for the final round. With both Molinaris already safely in the Open championship field, Clarke probably doesn't even have to win today to make it to St Andrews. If he does, of course, a spot in the Open is guaranteed and the Ryder Cup miraculously becomes visible on his horizon, not that he wants to tempt fate.

"I'm not thinking about it," he chuckled. "I need to win a couple of times before the team is selected. I know if I was captain, that's the way I'd be looking at it.

"And Monty is obviously much smarter than me."

The charging Edoardo Molinari is the new pace-setter after shooting a captivating 63, including four birdies in his last five holes when the rain was really starting to come down heavy again.

Remember that, barely 12 months ago, Molinari finished second to Scotland's Jamie McLeary in the Scottish Hydro Challenge at Spey Valley in Aviemore. Out in 31, back in 32, seven birdies and an eagle and Molinari has rocketed to 15-under, one clear of Clarke, who found himself in the bizarre situation of having lost his three-shot lead from Friday despite signing for an excellent 67.

Like Molinari, Clarke birdied the 18th hole. It's a dangerous par-4 at the best of times, hugging what may now be renamed "Mickelson's Loch" up the left, but in a downpour it takes on a sinister look. The Northern Irishman made it look easy in the rain. He's actually played his best stuff when the weather has been at its worst this week. Big-D is probably praying for a monsoon today.

Without a win in nearly two years, his last four rounds, including one from the JP McManus event in Limerick on Tuesday, read 68, 65, 67, 67. It's a level of scoring that has not surprised him, he says. "No, no, not at all. The putting was the thing that was affecting me and I was getting in my own way because of it. But I'm not surprised, not in the slightest. Apart from two shots, my tee shot on the fifth (bogey] and when I tried to get smart with the pitch on 13 (it ran up the bank and down again for his second and last dropped shot of the day and only his third of the week] there isn't a shot I'd have taken back. There was a little bit of nervousness mixed with excitement and that's exactly what it will be like on Sunday."

Francesco Molinari is joint third with Hedblom after taking 68 for 8-under and is almost certainly too far adrift of his brother and Clarke to be dreaming of victory, but watching the Ulsterman and the Molinaris play alongside each other will be a spectacle all on its own.

Both Molinaris had eagles on their card yesterday, Edoardo at the par-5 third and Francesco at the par-4 ninth. He drove the green, 340 yards, and sank the putt. The pair of them are class acts and World Cup winners for Italy in China last year. But they are oh-so different. Edoardo is taller and thinner, more emotional and more flamboyant in his game. Francesco is smaller and stockier and more orthodox. Edoardo is Dodo and he lives in Italy. Francesco is Chicco and he lives in London. Before this weekend they had never been in the top ten or even the top 15, of a tour event going into the third round. They're now both in the final group going into the fourth round.

But Clarke is lurking. His game is back and so is his smile. You wonder if he's even noticed the rain these past three days. It's been a while since he contended like this. In his world, everything must seem bright and beautiful all of a sudden.

Golf Scottish Open

198 Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 66 69 63

199 Darren Clarke 65 67 67

205 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 68 69 68

205 Peter Hedblom (Swe) 67 69 69

207 Shane Lowry 68 73 66

207 Graeme Storm 66 72 69

208 Rory Sabbatini (SA) 70 69 69

208 Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 71 68 69

209 John Daly (USA) 67 73 69

209 Stephen Gallacher 67 73 69

209 Ross Fisher 71 73 65

209 Bradley Dredge 67 69 73

209 Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 72 69 68

210 Thomas Aiken (SA) 73 67 70

210 Graeme McDowell 71 71 68

210 Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 71 68 71

211 Robert J Derksen (Ned) 70 68 73

211 Damien McGrane 66 72 73

211 Richie Ramsay 69 74 68

211 James Kingston (SA) 70 72 69

211 David Horsey 68 72 71

211 Rafael Echenique (Arg) 70 69 72

211 Rhys Davies 69 74 68

211 Tom Lehman (USA) 71 72 68

211 Mark Brown (NZ) 70 74 67

211 Johan Edfors (Swe) 67 76 68

211 Sam Hutsby 69 72 70

211 Trevor Immelman (SA) 71 70 70

211 Richard Green (Aus) 69 72 70

211 Fredrik A Hed (Swe) 68 74 69

212 Craig Lee 70 72 70

212 Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 72 69 71

212 Charl Schwartzel (SA) 70 74 68

212 David Howell 71 73 68

212 Marcel Siem (Ger) 72 70 70

212 Heath Slocum (USA) 69 71 72

212 Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 72 70 70

212 Gary Boyd 74 70 68

212 David Drysdale 71 72 69

212 Martin Laird 71 71 70

213 Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 68 74 71

213 Anders Hansen (Den) 69 71 73

213 Soren Hansen (Den) 73 70 70

213 James Kamte (SA) 71 71 71

213 Peter Lawrie 70 74 69

213 Marcus Fraser (Aus) 73 71 69

214 Christian Nilsson (Swe) 70 69 75

214 David Dixon 71 71 72

214 Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 67 74 73

215 Anthony Wall 68 76 71

215 John Parry 68 72 75

215 Danny Willett 70 72 73

215 David Lynn 71 71 73

215 James Morrison 72 72 71

216 Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn) 67 77 72

216 Camilo Villegas (Col) 71 73 72

216 Gregory Havret (Fra) 70 72 74

217 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 68 75 74

217 Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 70 74 73

217 Richard McEvoy 71 73 73

218 Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 72 72 74

218 Gareth Maybin 71 73 74

218 Joost Luiten (Ned) 71 73 74

218 Michael Jonzon (Swe) 71 73 74

218 Clodomiro Carranza (Arg) 74 70 74

220 Jamie Elson 72 70 78

224 Alexander Noren (Swe) 69 75 80

DQ: Brett Rumford (Aus) 71 71zxz