IT is a case of back to work for Darren Clarke at the Cannes Open at Royal Mougins on the French Riveria today after just returning from his honeymoon in the Maldives.

And the Ulsterman, who has secured only two top 20 placings in six tournaments this season, is determined to cure his problems with the putter.

After borrowing a decorator's plumb line and a piece of blues chalk Clarke discovered that the new guideline he had put on the head of his old putter was leading him into all sorts of errors. "It was several degrees out of the right angle it was supposed to be," he said, "and that was the reason I was hooking my putts. I was ending up "blocking" them with crooked hands, trying to make the ball go straight."

Clarke now has a new line to keep his putter on a straight path but warns his supporters not to expect too much this week. "I haven't touched a club for a fortnight," he said. Clarke's presence is explained by the need to fulfil an obligation to his sponsor, the Christchurch Insurance Group, who have a major presence in the south of France. However he has turned down an invitation to play in the Greensbord Open on the US Tour next week so that he can attend to all the post wedding details at home.

He will then compete in the Irish PGA Championship at the new Slieve Russell course in Monaghan and after that "it will be all systems go" he forecasts.

For David Feherty, just back from Atlanta and Bruner, this week is the first of three European engagements. After the Turespana Masters in Valencia and the Italian Open, which provided his first victory in 1986, he will take up an invitation to the Byron Nelson Classic in his new home town of Dallas.

Feherty is also a former winner of the Cannes Open title which he took at the neighbouring Mougins course in 1991. His chances of a repeat have been enhanced by being reunited with long time British caddie Rod Wooler.

Paul McGinley, Raymond Burns, John McHenry and David Higgins have all been re-charging their batteries playing "holiday" golf inn Ireland over the Easter break. McGinley spent 10 days in Donegal with his family while the other three were joined by Irish youths internationals Sean Quinlivan and Graham Spring while playing at Waterville, Tralee and Killarney. Padraig Harrington and Francis Howley have also been relaxing and working on revitalising their games for an important three week period.

The first re-rank of the 1996 season will take place after the Italian Open in three weeks time. It means that the Qualifying School graduates will be re-classified on the basis of prize money won so far instead of the order in which they finished at the school.

For anyone in the new top 10 it will mean almost certain starts in the big money events to follow. McHenry (seventh), Harrington (12th) and Howley (15th) are the best placed going into this week's £400,000 tournament while David Higgins is in 31st position of the School newcomers.

Harrington has made money in each of the five events he has competed and aims "to keep up the good work here", principally because he is not sure of getting a place in Valencia next week or in Italy.

Philip Walton and Ronan Rafferty are also in a field that contains three Europeans who failed at Augusta last week Mark Roe, David Gilford and Costantino Rocca.

Despite a stiff challenge from last year's winner, Johnny Young first round leader Leslie Robinson has kept his spot at the top of the leader board going into the last day's play of the £10,000 Great Northern Hotel Pro-Am at Bundoran.