Buggy crash has Clarke counting his blessings ahead of PGA showpiece

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The BMW PGA Championship begins tomorrow and Clarke turned up at Wentworth sporting a swollen right hand bearing two deep cuts.

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A squatting Darren Clarke and inset, injuries on his hand

The 38-year-old, who lost his wife Heather to cancer shortly before helping Europe to an emotional Ryder Cup victory last September, passed himself fit to play.

But he said: "I could have done myself serious damage. I have two fields beside my house and I have two off-road buggies with rollcages on them. My sons, Conor and Tyrone, have one and I have the other, a proper one with a little more horsepower.

"We were out on Sunday messing about and having a great time. But then I flipped and rolled it. I banged my hand against the ground and ended up hanging upside down in the buggy. I was very lucky that all I did was hurt my hand."

Clarke was already in the wars with a hamstring injury he sustained while playing football with his sons. "I'm a bit of a jinx just now, you wouldn't want to be hanging around me at the minute," he said.

Justin Rose is another contender for the PGA's first prize of £500,000 who has been struggling with his fitness.

The 26-year-old, suffering from a persistent back complaint, has not struck a shot in anger since finishing fifth in the US Masters five weeks ago.

But he said: "I'm in good shape. I've had plenty of rest and I'm raring to go."

Meanwhile, Jose Maria Olazabal and Paul McGinley have been named as captain Nick Faldo's assistants for the 2008 Ryder Cup match in Kentucky.