Dermot Gilleece talks to an optimistic Darren Clarke about theQatar and US Masters

Darren Clarke felt in a winning mood yesterday, after battling into a share of seventh place behind Ernie Els in the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday. "I think my game's in good enough shape to deliver a victory this week in Qatar," said the Ulsterman, who is not given to hyperbole.

His return to Qatar after an absence of five years is an attempt at achieving a more fruitful build-up to the US Masters at Augusta National next month. In the recent past, trips to the Bay Hill Invitational, in which Irish colleague Paul McGinley is competing later this week, have fallen flat.

"I just don't feel comfortable on the course," Clarke says.

His liking for Augusta National, however, remains steadfast, despite controversial changes which have added 285 yards to its length. And a particular reason for wanting to do well there this year is the fact that he will be joined by his father, Godfrey, in a fourball at the holy of holies on the Sunday of Masters week.

"The invitation was extended by an old college friend from my days at Wake Forest," he said yesterday. "Naturally, my dad is thrilled at the prospect of playing there and, naturally, I'm thrilled that I was able to swing it for him."

Clarke adds with a chuckle: "He'll be able to take care of himself. I'm not too sure what he's playing off right now, but I know it's single figures."

Godfrey Clarke, who was once attached to Dungannon GC but is greenkeeper at Ballycastle these days, has been a regular visitor to Augusta National since his son made an auspicious debut there in 1998 by finishing in a share of eighth place behind Mark O'Meara. And there will be a strong Irish presence this year, inside and outside the ropes, with debutants McGinley and Michael Hoey joining Clarke and Harrington.

Clarke's build-up to the Masters will start in earnest in the Players' Championship at Sawgrass next week. Then he heads for the Shell Houston Open before returning to his home in Sunningdale for a week's break prior to the big event.

What does he feel about the current rumpus over the changes to Augusta? "I think some of the comments are unfortunate in that they happen to be ill-informed," he replied. "I see the extra yardage as a move against technology rather than against Tiger (Woods)."

He went on: "Those of us who have come to admire Augusta don't want to see scores of 22 under par winning there. If they didn't put in the extra yardage, they would have concentrated on really tricking it up, like when they shaved the apron of the 15th green a few years ago. I prefer the yardage, because it keeps the driver in my hands more often."

As to his form in Dubai, he said: "I scratched it a bit over the opening two days, but I was really pleased with the way I played at the weekend for rounds of 68 and 69. I can be a bit of a slow starter and it took a little longer than usual this year to get my short game into shape. But the really heartening thing is that I feel my overall technique improving every year."

He has certainly achieved remarkable consistency. For instance, going back to 1996, his end-of-season Order of Merit positions on the European Tour have been: eighth, fourth, second, eighth, second, third. And there have been 10 tournament victories during that period, culminating in the Smurfit European Open at The K Club last July.

Now he is ready to look more towards his physical shape. His trainer, John Newton, is with him in Qatar, where Clarke has set himself a daily schedule in the gym.

He will be joined in Qatar by compatriots Des Smyth and Ronan Rafferty, both of whom missed the cut in Dubai last weekend. There is also a good chance that David Higgins will make the field, given his current status of third alternate.

The achievement of Els, in winning back-to-back tournaments in Florida and Dubai, emphasises what a small place the world has become, even if the double depended on an 18-hour flight.

The South African explained that he used the time on the plane "to put last week's win (in the Genuity at Doral) behind me and concentrate on Dubai."

He went on: "For the shoot-out on Tuesday it was like playing at midnight. In fact it was difficult for the first three days, but I'm over it now. I find the time difference going back to America a lot better to acclimatise to than coming the other way."

On that point, Clarke recalled the tail-end of the 1997 season when Lee Westwood won the Volvo Masters, the Taiheiyo Masters in Japan, was fifth in the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan and went on to win the Australian Open, all in the space of four weeks. And like Els, he, too, had travelled the "wrong" way.

Meanwhile, Christy O'Connor Jnr completed his fifth tournament last weekend in a comeback season in the US by sharing 43rd place behind Hale Irwin in the Toshiba Senior Classic. A week previously, the Galwayman was tied 57th in the SBC Senior Classic, after a crushing final round of 81.

Courtesy of a special medical extension from the Senior Tour because of a broken left leg sustained nearly 12 months ago, O'Connor has proved himself to be fit and well. But his game betrays signs of rust and his total earnings of $41,449 - an average of just over $8,000 an event - is down on his performances in 1999 and 2000.