After congratulating Lee Westwood on his recent Maybank Malaysian Open success Darren Clarke and his long-time good friend got into a discussion about fishing.

The duo were on the far end of the Quail Hollow Golf Club practice range and venue for this week’s $US 6.9m (Euro 1.21m) Wells Fargo Championship.

Westwood wasted little time pulling out his mobile phone to show a snap of a large fish he caught last week some 25 miles off the coast of Florida.

And while Westwood also recently hauled in his 41^st career success four days before his 41^st birthday, Clarke continues to try and snare a 23^rd victory and a first in three years since lifting the Claret Jug.

Stand-in caddy for this week Mick Doran watches over Darren Clarke’s game today on the Quail Hollow practice range. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

“I wouldn’t say I’m getting impatient for another victory because all I am looking for it to be playing consistently good golf,” he said.

“No one can question my work ethic as I’m working as hard as anyone on their game.

“It’s just that I haven’t been playing great but I just would like a couple of decent weeks.”

Clarke is returning to competition after celebrating his 500^th European Tour event with a share of 44^th in the Masters.

He spent the past fortnight holidays in the Caribbean where he spent plenty of time practicing on his game and also spending time fishing with his two sons.

Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke not chatting about golf but fishing. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

And the new slim-look golfer is staring at a big run of events in coming weeks including next week’s $US 10m Players Championship, the European Tour’s flagship BMW PGA, a first appearance in the June 5^th starting FedEx St. Jude Classic before teeing up for a first occasion since 1999 in a US Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

Clarke was out on Quail Hollow Monday playing a few holes before practicing over the back nine yesterday (TUES) of the course that will also play host to the 2017 PGA Championship.

“This week is going to be a fantastic week and the course is sensational and you can see the changes they’re making ahead of the PGA Championship in a couple of year’s time,” he said.

“It has that Major venue feel then most weeks out here on the PGA Tour are like that.”

Joining Clarke this week will be fellow Irish Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington, and with McIlroy, as winner of the event in 2010, to play alongside 2012 champion Rickie Fowler and exciting young Swede Jonas Blixt who was joint runner-up in the Masters.