Get a grip on anger, Clarke told

Darren Clarke will need to control his temper if he is to have any chance of winning this week's Open Championship at Muirfield, says Dr John Pates, Clarke's sports psychologist. 'Darren has no chance of winning the British Open until he learns to control his anger,' said Pates. 'What Darren needs right now is anger control. Anger destroys him.' Clarke's best finish in the Open Championship is a tie for second at Royal Troon in 1997, when Justin Leonard won. He also tied for third last year at Royal Lytham.

Pates believes Clarke's psychological approach has stopped him from winning the game's premier event. 'He is really strong mentally, but he has been using his mental skills to destroy himself. Darren is very imagery-based. If you are constantly imaging bad shots - fluffing shots, or shots going left or right, then nine times out of 10 that's what you'll hit.' Pates has taught Clarke relaxation techniques to help him play better. 'Relaxation is very important to Darren. He gets too tight and that causes tightness in the muscles and he loses shots. It also causes tightness in the mind. He is not thinking well enough to manipulate his way around the course. If his mind is relaxed then he is more likely to make better decisions.'

Pates is also trying to get Clarke to focus on good experiences from previous tournaments to help him when things are going wrong, such as when he defeated Tiger Woods in the final of the 2000 World Match Play Championship. 'We've worked on getting him to focus on shots related to his better performances. We've reviewed some of his past experiences where he has played awesome, such as when he beat Tiger Woods. He's got to focus on those type of shots and bring those type of shots into the routine very quickly to use the power of imagery to his best advantage.' Another area they have worked on is Clarke's pre-shot routine. Pates says that is essential if Clarke is to play consistently well. 'A good pre-shot routine is important to help him get into the zone so he can win tournaments. He had that when he won the English Open at the Forest of Arden. He didn't get angry at all that week, and he won the tournament.'

Clarke's temper is legendary on the European Tour. No golfer wears his emotions on his sleeve as much as the burly Northern Irish professional. Clarke is normally unapproachable after a poor round, sometimes even to close friends and family. Clarke turned to Pates after one of his worst rounds this year. He fired an 84 in the Pro-am for the English Open at the Forest of Arden, and turned to Pates on the advice of swing coach Pete Cowen. 'He was really angry, very upset. He was in bits really. So we talked for two hours and I helped him focus on what he needed to focus on to help him win the tournament.' The pair worked intensively at the Forest of Arden, spending up to four hours at a time trying to get to the bottom of Clarke's mental problems. The work paid off. Clarke won the tournament and has been working with Pates ever since.

However, even Pates has been on the receiving end of Clarke's anger. Pates had scheduled a session with Clarke after the second round of the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, but Clarke was so angry at shooting a two-over-par 73 that he cancelled the meeting. It had to be rescheduled until the following morning. Pates isn't the first to tell Clarke he needs to get control of his emotions. Veteran Zimbabwe golfer Mark McNulty said the same thing a year ago after playing with the Ulsterman in the British Masters at Woburn. 'We know Darren's been prone in the past to completely losing his head,' McNulty said. 'I told him that he had to accept the bad shots the same as he accepted great shots. Ben Hogan used to always say he would hit only five good shots a round. Darren wants to hit 99 per cent of his shots perfect.'

Proof that the work is starting to pay off was evident yesterday when Clarke returned a five-under-par 66 at Loch Lomond. He was in a pretty jovial mood afterwards despite a bogey at the last hole. He feels Pates can help him achieve his full potential 'He definitely helped me at the Forest of Arden,' Clarke said of Pates. 'It will work eventually. It's just my big thick head he's got to get it into.' Clarke will need to keep his head squarely on his shoulders at Muirfield if he is to have any chance of winning his first Major championship.

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