Relief for Darren Clarke but Tiger Woods gets wind of problems

Darren Clarke has qualified for The Open but the bad news for him is that St Andrews is promising to be even tougher this week than rain‑lashed Loch Lomond.

The Ulsterman finished runner-up to Edoardo Molinari in the Barclays Scottish Open yesterday to earn his spot in the Major and maintain his run of playing every Open since turning professional in 1991.

However, should Clarke bump into his close friend Tiger Woods at St Andrews later today, he will hear tales of 50mph gusts that sent golf balls scuttling off greens, flattened portable toilets, and saw policemen's caps rolling down the fairways.

During his first practice round yesterday Woods, whose tee shot at the 11th hole ended up on the seventh green, complained "nobody can play St Andrews like this".

Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A, admitted play will probably be suspended if the weather is as bad when the season's third Major starts on Thursday. Referring to the galleries who braved the elements to follow Woods and the other early arrivals, Dawson said: "We had some concerns about spectator safety."

The forecast for the rest of the week is for a slight easing of the wind, with 30mph gusts testing the world elite. In fact, that will probably suit Clarke, a renowned links golfer, who has enjoyed a timely return to form.