Clarke four off pace in KLM Open

Clarke is hoping to clinch a place in the 2008 Ryder Cup

Darren Clarke kept himself in the Ryder Cup wild card picture by firing an opening two-under-par 68 at the KLM Open at Zandvoort.

Clarke, who is hoping to earn a Ryder Cup wild card from captain Nick Faldo, is four shots behind clubhouse leader Rolf Muntz of Holland.

The Dungannon man suffered two late bogeys during appalling weather.

Rory McIlroy was three under after 13 but he suffered a dreadful late run of three double bogeys and a bogey.

After starting at the 10th, McIlroy went to the turn in one over but he holed with a wedge to make an eagle on the first and then birdied the second and fourth to move to three under.

However, he double bogeyed three of his next four holes to slide dramatically down the leaderboard and his awful run was completed by a closing dropped shot.

Clarke bogeyed two of his last three holes during the worst of the weather, but had reached four under before that and accepted a 68 as still a decent start.

"I'd much prefer to be four under, but it got pretty tricky and we were unlucky to be on two of the most difficult holes at the time," said the Ulsterman, 40 last week.

No longer able to qualify automatically for the side to face Amercia, Clarke would need to be one of Faldo's two wild card selections.

On Wednesday, Clarke said that he was "desperate" to earn a wild card.

He has been a member of the last five sides and two years ago was the first time he had needed a wild card.

Damien McGrane shot a 67 - which left him in a tie for fifth place, three shots off the lead.

Paul McGinley carded a 69, Gary Murphy fired a 72 while Peter Lawrie is way off the pace after hitting a 75.

John Bickerton and Soren Hansen lie a shot behind leader Muntz, with Alex Noren fourth on four under.