Clarke crashes as Otto takes lead

GOLF
David Denison

EAST LONDON -- Thunder rumbling across the skies signalled an opening day of stop-start golf when the South African Open teed off here yesterday. At times even the course's talismanic hadedahs seemed perplexed by hooters blowing, calling play to a temporary halt; not to mention all the comings and goings!

With lightning apparently flashing play was initially stopped at 2.15; the field returned at 3.30; then 'blown off' course again at 4.15 for a l-o-n-g wait before venturing out again at 5.30.

Dusk was gathering, the hadedahs nesting before officials finally called a stop to the day's play at 6.55.

At the end of the day South Africa's Hennie Otto, who plays the European tour, led with a sparkling seven-under par 65 -- but 17 three-ball coveys still have to complete their first rounds at sparrow this morning.

Former Spanish Ryder Cup player Ignacio Garrido was a shot behind on 66, followed by a multi-national threesome on 67 -- England's Greg Owen, Swiss swinger Paolo Quirici and Welshman Bradley Dredge.

Of the leading players who will complete their rounds early -- make that very early -- this morning, Roger Wessels was four under after 13 holes; Mark McNulty three under after 16, defending champion Mathias Gronberg level par after 15 and playing partner Retief Goosen one over.

It was the old story of the early starters getting the best of conditions -- four of the five front-runners were off by 7.35. Only Dredge was a late (11.30) starter as the afternoon field battled sporadic showers.

Otto obviously had a much better day at the office yesterday than he did in the recent SA Masters in Swaziland, when he went into a blind rage and snapped all his clubs before tossing them into a lagoon after a second round 80 left him way off the cut.

He reached the turn yesterday in 33 (three under, the product of birdies at the second, third, sixth and eighth, offset by a dropped shot at the first) but, if you're familiar with poker, picked up a 'Yiddishi forest' plus with four threes on the trot from the 10th, which translates into par, eagle, birdie, birdie for a back loop 32 and his 65.

Garrido returned matching halves of 33 with an eagle at the third, birdies at the sixth and seventh, dropped shot at nine making up his outward loop and three birdies (at 11, 12 and 15) coming home.

A level par 36 going out gave no hint of the fireworks Owen delivered on the back nine -- a nine he opened with a barrage of three birdies and closed with a brace of below par scores for a scorching 31, the best nine of the day either in or out.

Quirici picked up three birdies on the front loop and three on the back nine, offset by his only drop at the 10th for 33 34 67.

The day's good scoring was punctuated by some appalling lapses -- and none more so than Darren Clarke, at 11 the top-ranked world player in the field.

Starting at the ninth, Clarke was purring along much as he does in his Ferrari, picking up birdies at the 13th and 15th, but dropping a shot at 18, the first of eight shots he dropped over the next eight holes.

The Ferrari stuttered with a triple bogey eight at the par-five third -- bunkered just short of the green for three; failed to come out first attempt; exploded short; duffed chip and then damn nearly holed his seventh stroke at this Bobby Locke World 18 hole, leaving him with a tap-in and that was an horrendous eight on his card.

His troubles were exacerbated with a double drop at the short par-four sixth where he cut his drive into the bush which lines this hole, chipped out sideways, chipped on -- and then three-putted.

"It can only get better" Lali Stander, the Southern African Tour's ultra-efficient communications co-ordinator suggested to the British Ryder Cup star.

Presaging storm clouds and rolls of afternoon thunder the Ulsterman riposted: "Don't count on it!"

If Clarke crashed towards the end of his round, Des Terblanche self-destructed before he'd even got out of the blocks.

Teeing off at the ninth, the roly-poly Terblanche started triple drop, drop, birdie, triple drop, which left him six over after four holes. The big man from Vryburg did well to finish just three over.

Another leading player who got tangled up in East London's capricious thick rough was Tony Johnstone.

The two-time champion was level par until he dragged his tee shot at the 11th into the matted rough that lines this par-five.

One penalty drop.

Third skimmed a tree before beetling under more thick growth.

Second penalty drop.

Fifth found the green, two putts and that was a seven on his card.

Some other interesting returns yesterday:

Swedish star Anders Forsbrand, one-under 71; the Rose of England, Justin, level par 72; the 'kid' from Cape Town, Trevor Immelman, level par 72; East London's 'mighty mouse', Ulrich van den Berg, three-over 75.

I'd guess Van den Berg needs to shoot somewhere around 70 today to ensure he makes the cut for the final two rounds.

p Seasoned South African pro Kevin Stone met the dreaded DQ yesterday -- disqualified for inadvertently signing for a three at the 10th when he took four.

p The original draw for the second round is published on page 13 today, but indications late last night were a revised draw would be drawn up to cover the 17 coveys still out on the course.

The revised draw arrived too late for publication this morning.

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