Clarke promises to listen to caddie's voice of experience

Darren Clarke has been known to give his caddies a hard time. From the withering look with which he responded to a simple enquiry in his press conference prior to the British Masters, you can believe it.

"I can be very demanding," said Clarke of his relationship with his bag carriers. "I haven't threatened to hit them with clubs or anything, but in the past I've been too demanding. I've had to apologise numerous times. Nobody can get it right all the time, including caddies or myself."

The Northern Irishman, who has lost 44 pounds on his new fitness and diet regime, has a new caddie once again but it was not this that provoked a look of utter disgust on his face. That followed a question about whether his diet included Quorn.

Lee Westwood, Clarke's great friend, has been on the meat substitute, which is high in protein and low in fat, since Christmas and has himself lost 30 pounds. Westwood likes the product so much he is becoming a spokesman for the company. Clearly, he may have trouble persuading Clarke to follow suit.

Where Clarke was quick to spot an opportunity was in snapping up Westwood's caddie, Pete Coleman, when the Englishman decided to dispense with the services of one of the most experienced bagmen in the business.

Coleman spent most of the last century living up to the high standards and punishing ethic of Bernhard Langer. Soon after he joined Westwood last summer, the Worksop man won twice following a three-year winless spell during which his game had collapsed.

Clarke, whose season has so far been a mixture of the very good and the very bad, sometimes both in the same tournament such as the Masters where he missed the cut, will be hoping for the same effect. Though today will be their first competitive round together, Clarke has already been impressed with Coleman's ability to pick the right club for the distance and manner in which Clarke hits the ball.

"I look for somebody to put the club in my hand, tell me how far it is, and what I should be doing," Clarke said. "I'll be going with Pete's opinion a lot of the time because of his experience. My course management has never been one of my strongest points. Now and again I am going to take on a shot that I feel I can, but most of the time I hope to listen to his advice."

Whether Coleman has the same effect on Clarke that Ray Reardon had on Ronnie O'Sullivan remains to be seen. But the Forest of Arden is a course Clarke enjoys, having twice won the English Open here. The going is bound to be heavy underfoot, but that was not the reason Colin Montgomerie skipped the pro-am.

The Scot, who announced the breakdown of his marriage last week, is expected to report for his first round alongside Westwood and Nick Faldo at 12.55pm, and in place of a practice round will rely on past knowledge as a winner here in the 1994 English Open and the British Masters six years ago.

Greg Owen will defend his title despite having an injection for a trapped nerve in the base of his spine. The man from Mansfield, who is sleeping on the floor of his front room, thought his season was over on Saturday but was back hitting balls again by Monday.

Graeme McDowell's problem after winning the Italian Open on Monday was what to do with the 78kg of cheese that came with the winner's cheque.

"They are sending it in the mail so I didn't have to take it on the plane," said McDowell. "Half is going home to Northern Ireland and half to Cardiff where I live." Now that really is a high protein diet.