 Clarke's best finish this year so far was third at the Deutsche Bank |
Darren Clarke posted an opening 66 to share the first round lead in the Taiheiyo Masters in Gotemba, Japan. Clarke made a superb start, with birdies at each of the first three holes, adding four more in his round.
He dropped a shot at the penultimate hole to tie at six-under with Japan's Ryoken Kawagishi, who had an eagle and five birdies in his round.
Lee Westwood, a three-time winner of the event, shot 68 to share seventh, with Graeme McDowell one further back.
Clarke began his round from the 10th hole and rolled in an opening birdie putt of 15 feet.
At the next, a par-five, he was in a bunker in two, but escaped to within 10 feet and knocked in the putt, before sinking a five-foot putt for his third birdie in succession.
The one blemish in Clarke's round came at the eighth, his 17th, when he missed the green with a nine-iron and failed to get up and down.
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 