US PGA Championship: Sometimes, a player can arrive at a course and be so intimidated he is beaten psychologically before he gets to tee it up at all. On the other hand, sometimes a player can be inspired by what he discovers; and that is how Darren Clarke - who arrived here on Saturday - felt as he familiarised himself with the course at Whistling Straits where he'll be competing in his seventh US PGA Championship.

"It's going to be a very stern test, but I'm really looking forward to getting out and having a go. You stand on some of the tees, take a look at some of the holes and you could be playing in Ireland or Scotland or wherever on a links course. It's amazing what they have achieved on this bit of land," said Clarke, refreshed from a two-week break since a disappointing weekend at the Irish Open saw him fall out of contention.

Unlike others who used their free-time to indulge in perilous activities - US Open champion Retief Goosen, for instance, was yesterday forced to withdraw from this championship after injuring a hip while jet skiing - Clarke used his fortnight's holidays "to do nothing at all, just rest".

One of four Irish players in the field - Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell, who is making his debut in this championship, are also competing - Clarke described the course as "amazing. I'm very impressed by it."

No doubt one of the reasons for his upbeat mood is the fact the driver, more often than not, will be his club of choice off the tee. And driving is one of the stronger aspects of his game.

As Clarke explained: "There's going to be a huge premium on driving the ball this week. In lots of (US) PGAs and US Opens and the majors generally, (they) sometimes tend to take the driver out off your hand, but this week is definitely going to put it in your hand."

In many ways, Clarke has endured a frustrating season so far, especially in terms of winning tournaments. In fact, he hasn't won since last year's NEC Invitational at Akron (which he defends next week), but the Ulsterman - who will be 36 on Saturday - appears to have regained much of his old confidence.

Perhaps that's because he has reunited with his old caddie, Billy Foster, for a third time. The pair split 18 months ago and, since then, Clarke has worked with JP Fitzgerald and, more recently, Pete Coleman.

Of renewing the partnership with Foster, Clarke observed, "I'm very excited about Billy being back on the bag. It's just back to like it was before . . . he knows me better than anyone else that's worked for me. I relied heavily on him in the past and I'll do the same again, I am sure.

"He doesn't say an awful lot but, whenever he does, he is usually right. He knows what sort of shots I see and what sort of shots I like to play, so that makes it easier for him to help me decide what club to play."

Ironically, given his high degree of confidence, this is the major that has proven most frustrating and least rewarding than any for Clarke. In six previous appearances, he has missed the cut five times. On the one occasion he survived into the weekend, at Valhalla in 2000, he finished tied-ninth. Otherwise, it has been a sorry old tale.

For this major, he decided not to play the week beforehand, although Clarke is still unsure which is the best way to prepare for the majors. To play the week before, as he did at the Scottish Open? Or to take the week off?

"If you look at my majors, that's up for debate, isn't it? I haven't managed to do that well in any one yet so I don't really know which is the right way to do it.

"But I needed the break before coming out here, and I feel very refreshed. I felt it was important to get here early because I'd heard how difficult this golf course was. I wanted to see it, to familiarise myself with it."

So, his impressions? Apparently in his first practice round here on Sunday, he jokingly inquired about the hole indexes to see where he would have shots. "I didn't realise there could be so many par sixes on one golf course," he quipped, before comparing it to an eclectic course from home.

"If you try and remember all the most difficult holes of all the courses at home, put them all together and I think you'll have this one here," he said.

Yet, the fear factor doesn't intimidate Clarke; far from it. "I think the course will play brutally difficult, probably the toughest I've ever played in a major. It is a very, very demanding test.

"But it is the toughest and fairest I've played."

As such, it will be a huge mental test and, from a physical viewpoint, Clarke - who has undergone a physical transformation since undertaking an intensive fitness regime - wondered if he'd have been able for the demands of Whistling Straits when his girth was a little fuller.

"I'd like to say this could suit a European player," he said. "It's certainly got that linksy type of look, but it is going to be somebody whose ball-striking is seriously good this week who'll win. You won't be able to scramble this week and get around the course. It's too difficult."

US TABLE

1. Tiger Woods 1,856.667 pts

2 Phil Mickelson 1,755.250

3. Davis Love 1,114.107

4. Jim Furyk 859.479

5. Kenny Perry 780.107

6. David Toms 695.125

7. Chad Campbell 680.000

8. Fred Funk 596.959

9. Steve Flesch 530.937

10. Jay Haas 525.917

11. Jerry Kelly 523.625

12. Stewart Cink 506.846

13. Jeff Maggert 504.143

14 Scott Verplank 501.250

15. Chris DiMarco 483.048

EUROPEAN: WORLD LIST

1. Padraig Harrington (Ire) 232.09

2. Sergio Garcia (Spa) 219.10

3. Darren Clarke (NIre)174.51

4. Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 166.55

5. Lee Westwood (Eng)143.72

6. Thomas Levet (Fra) 133.64

7. Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 128.66

8. Paul Casey (Eng)117.84

9. Joakim Haeggman (Swe) 106.95

10. Luke Donald (Eng)104.62

11. Ian Poulter (Eng)104.23

12. David Howell (Eng)101.23

13. Thomas Bjorn (Den) 89.32

14 Brian Davis (Eng) 87.84

15. Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 86.53

EUROPEAN: ORDER OF MERIT

1. Westwood 1,565,797.68

2. Jimenez 1,520,367

3. Clarke 1,364,954

4.Levet 1,309,459

5. Harrington 1,303,008.06

6. Casey 1,144,066

7. Howell 1,118,807

8. Poulter 1,097,887

9. Haeggman 1,018,136

10. J-F Remesy (Fra) 993,891

11. Fredrik Jacobson 933,936

12. Jacquelin 931,791

13. Davis 929,741

14. Paul McGinley (Ire) 909,214

15. Graeme McDowell (NIre) 845,778

1 Tiger Woods (US) 12.24pts

2 Ernie Els (Rsa) 11.04

3 Vijay Singh (Fij) 10.27

4 Phil Mickelson (US) 8.63

5 Davis Love-III (US) 7.43

6 Retief Goosen (Rsa) 7.40

7 Mike Weir (Can) 6.59

8 Padraig Harrington (Irl) 5.86

9 Jim Furyk (US) 5.43

10 Sergio Garcia (Spa) 4.97

11 Kenny Perry (US) 4.88

12 Adam Scott (Aus) 4.78

13 Chad Campbell (US) 4.70

14 Darren Clarke (NIrl) 4.48

15 Stuart Appleby (Aus) 4.42

16 Todd Hamilton (US) 4.21