ZealousGolfer.com

The European Tour's Madrid Masters carried a bigger storyline than in year's past mainly due to Northern Irishmen Darren Clarke's return to competitive golf. Clarke's wife had been battling with breast cancer, and as the condition got worse, Clarke decided to end his season after the British Open in order to spend time with his wife. Clarke's would die in mid-August during the week of the International. Despite the death of Clarke's loved one, he expressed interest in playing on the European Ryder Cup team as a captain's pick by Ian Woosnam, entering himself in the Madrid Masters in order to prepare for the Ryder Cup next week. After being out of competitive golf for several months and having a major death, Clarke is playing like he hadn't left in 25th place right now with a cumulative seven under par, and only four strokes behind the ninth position. Clarke surely has proven that he was a worthwile pick for European Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam. Englishman Ian Poulter is dominating this week shooting a 64 today to move to ninteen under par and carrying a four stroke lead over Ricardo Gonzalez.