WARWICKSHIRE, England, June 6 (UPI) -- Darren Clarke of Ireland, who is bidding for his third English Open title in four years, fired a 7-under-par 65 Thursday to grab a share of the first-round lead at the Forest of Arden.
Clarke shot his lowest round of the year on the European Tour and matched his final round score here in 2000, when he came from six strokes behind to win the title.
Australian Jarrod Moseley also shot a 65 Thursday to tie for the lead.
Clarke, who travels to New York Monday for the U.S. Open, had seven birdies and no bogeys.
"I like the tournament and I like the course," Clarke said. "It is one of my favorite courses we play all year on the tour. I seem to play well here all the time."
Starting from the back side, Clarke birdied the 12th, 14th and 17th, the longest putt of which was from four feet. At the turn, Clarke came within six inches of an eagle on the first hole, birdied the next two as well and rolled in his seventh birdie of the round on the sixth.
"I missed only two fairways or two or three greens all day," Clarke said. "Just kept hitting it within 10 feet all day."
Moseley closed with a 65 last Sunday in the British Masters and carried over the momentum.
His highlight was an eagle on the par-5 17th, where he hit a three-wood 230 yards to within eight inches of the hole.
"That was a sensational shot on the 17th," Moseley said. "I tried to hit the middle of the green and it just caught the slope and rolled down the hole. It just shaved the edge."
Didier de Vooght, Gary Orr, Mark Roe, Graeme Storm, Grant Hamerton and Alberto Binaghi all were two shots out of the lead at 67.
Justin Rose seeks his second consecutive win on home soil after capturing last week's British Masters. He was one of 11 golfers to shoot a 68.
Countryman Lee Westwood was forced to withdraw after five holes due to a pinched nerve in his neck.
