Clarke backs Woods to shine

The 14-time major winner ends a near-three-month injury hiatus at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, an event he has won seven times.

During Woods’s recovery from knee and Achilles tendon injuries, Rory McIlroy blitzed the field at the US Open and Clarke won the Open at Sandwich.

And Clarke, who partners the world No 28 in the opening round, said: “Tiger has been the best player in the world for a very long time. He has been the guy certainly over my career that has set the benchmark for all the rest of us. It is fantastic for all of world golf just to see Tiger Woods back playing again.

“I’m sure he will be trying to get himself back up to where he has been before and personally I don’t doubt he’ll do that.

“But for us to have a chance to compete against him again can only be good for the game.”

As to the general state of Woods’s game ahead of next week’s final major, the US PGA, Clarke said: “It’ll be very interesting and, knowing Tiger like I do, I don’t think he would come back to play unless he was ready to come back and play, both physically and mentally, and ready for the challenge again.

“I think he could be a hard man to beat this week because of his record around this golf course. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him have a really, really good week.”

Cheshire’s Charlotte Wild reached the halfway stage of the English Women’s Open Strokeplay Championship at Alwoodley, Leeds, with a one-stroke lead over 15-year-old Charley Hull.

The leading Yorkshire player is Emma Brown (Malton & Norton) who shares 12th place on two over with Sophie Godley (Lindrick).

Other White Rose players to make the cut are Ellie Robinson (Middlesborough), Charlotte Austwick (Fulford), Carley Warrington (Sickleholme) and Sara Garbutt (Ganton).