CLARK ON COMEBACK TRAIL

An elbow injury got the best of Tim Clark this year in Hawaii.

Visa problems took him down last week in his quest to play in Scotland.

This week, however, there is no roadblock in Canada.

Clark has endured quite an arduous ride toward defense of his title in this week’s RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario. Friendly, diminutive Clark, 39, will be making just his fifth start of 2015 in Thursday’s first round after surgery on his left elbow to repair a tendon injury. In 2011, he had similar surgery to repair a similar problem in his right elbow. The right arm is 100%, the left is getting there.

“This time I’ve only missed five months, so I feel like I’ve been able to find my game a lot quicker,” said Clark, who missed more than a year after his 2011 surgery. “I haven’t been out of the game for quite so long. Although the arm doesn’t feel 100% right now, I know that the right one feels great, so it’s just a matter of time before it feels good.”

Clark faces a formidable field this week, including four- time major champion Ernie Els, local favorite Graham DeLaet, former world No. 1 Luke Donald and Jason Day, who fell one shot shy of a playoff in last week’s British Open.

Last year at Royal Montreal, Clark shot a back- nine 30 to close with a 65 and at 17 under defeated Jim Furyk by one shot despite his left elbow nagging him.

Heading into the Sony Open in Hawaii, Clark had made six consecutive cuts, including a playoff loss to Bubba Watson in the World Golf ChampionshipsHSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Although he’s played so little and missed two cuts in his return to the PGA Tour — his short game, one of his strengths, has been slow to return — Clark still earned a spot in the British Open won Monday by Zach Johnson. But he ran into governmental red tape that had him seeing red.

Strict new visa rules in South Africa required Clark to start the process weeks ago. He needed a letter of intent explaining his visit to Scotland, but he couldn’t get one from the R& A, which runs the Open, because Clark had yet to qualify for the event. Thus he couldn’t apply to get fingerprinted, another requirement by the new visa rules.

So after the Travelers Championship four weeks ago, he and his family went to the Bahamas. Without playing, he qualified for the British Open. The last- minute qualification gave him a chance to get to Scotland, but if everything had gone perfectly, the earliest he would have arrived in St Andrews was the Wednesday before the start of the event. Clark decided to pass.

The world No. 77 then played in the John Deere Classic, where, despite playing well tee to green, he missed the cut. But Clark, who won his first two professional tournaments on the Canadian Tour, is optimistic this week.

And he’s a darn good player in national championships, having won those conducted by Canada, South Africa, Scotland and Australia.

“I saw some shots at the John Deere which the distance came back. That’s what I thought I’d be lacking, is the distance with the irons and the driver. But Deere was my second tournament back, and I really had that distance back, so it leaves me to believe I might have a chance,” Clark said. “I should have really made the cut the way I played so there’s just a little bit of rust, which hopefully I’ve knocked off now. Although I haven’t played much golf this year, I’m feeling pretty good about this week.”

“Although I haven’t played much golf this year, I’m feeling pretty good about this week.”

Tim Clark, on his chances in the Canadian Open, which starts Thursday

ERIC BOLTE, USA TODAY SPORTS Defending Canadian Open champion Tim Clark, holding son Jack after his victory last year, says the distance in his drives is back after elbow surgery.