Horrors continue for Clarke

Darren Clarke confessed that his obsession with practice has left his game is in disarray.

The Ulsterman, 40, crashed out of the US Open at Bethpage Black as he finished on 10 over par.

After a second round 76, Clarke groaned: “My game is absolutely c**p. I drove it really, really poorly and you can’t do that in a US Open.

“I have gone from productive practice to obsessive practice and that hasn't helped. I live and die by my striking and it is just not there at the moment.”

Clarke was hoping to warm up for 12th US Open appearance with a trip to the Austrian Open.

But the postponement of that event wrecked his plans and he paid the price with a sloppy performance that saw him hit less than half the fairways and greens.

After a first round 74 he was already heading out of the tournament when he slumped to nine over after 12 holes of his second round on Friday night.

He needed a miracle to save himself but resumed with a bogey six at the par-five 13th and limped home, confessing: “Nothing is happening for me.”

The world No 101 will be back in action in Paris in two weeks when he plays the French Open before building up to the Open at Turnberry with a trip to Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.