Killarney, Ireland: Darren Clarke carded a five-under-par 66 in the Irish Open first round on Thursday to maintain the good form that could land him a surprise spot in the European Ryder Cup team.
Clarke's round left him a stroke behind the early leader, Richard Green of Australia and lifted his hopes of qualifying for Europe's match against the United States in October.
If the 41-year-old Northern Irishman won the Irish Open, he would earn 500,000 Ryder Cup points, which would enable him to surge up Europe's qualification points table from 21st spot.
It would also grant him qualification for next week's WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.
Clarke has been chosen as one of three non-playing vice-captains by Europe captain Colin Montgomerie but he still has time to make the team for Celtic Manor.
"I will play if I qualify and I think Monty will want me to," Clarke told reporters. "We spoke at length about it and Monty's said he wants me there one way or another."
Clarke was told this week that he has been given an invitation to play in the year's last major, the US PGA Championship beginning on August 12.
"It was a great bonus to get the information they (the US PGA) had invited me before the (Irish Open) started," Clarke said.
Scores
Irish Open (First round, par 71; GBR and IRL unless stated):
64 - David Howell
65 - Damien McGrane, Richard Green (AUS)
66 - Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (FRA), Noh Seung-yul (KOR), Anton Haig (RSA), Marcel Siem (GER), Darren Clarke, Brett Rumford (AUS), Paul Lawrie, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (ESP), Michael Hoey
67 - Martin Wiegele (AUT), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Anders Hansen (DEN), Francois Delamontagne (FRA), Andrew Dodt (AUS), Johan Edfors (SWE), Danny Lee (NZL), David Drysdale, Rory McIlroy, Eirik Tage Johansen (NOR), Mark F Haastrup (DEN).
PGA Greenbrier Classi (USA unless noted, par-70):
63 - Erik Compton, Matt Every
64 - George McNeill, Jeff Overton, Pat Perez
65 - Matt Bettencourt, Charles Howell, Aron Price (AUS), John Rollins, Brendon de Jonge (ZIM).
