A rejuvenated Darren Clarke will prove once again that his desire for competitive golf is as strong as ever when he makes his debut in this week's Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open at the Cengkareng Golf Club in Jakarta.

The 39 year old Northern Irishman has rediscovered his appetite for the game after his well documented troubles off the course in 2006 and a poor year on it in 2007 and, with the bit between his teeth, is ready to add the co-sanctioned tournament with the Asian Tour to his ever-growing travelogue.

“It was a long time ago that I was this enthusiastic,” he admitted. “I've always been keen but now I am working harder than I have ever worked and spending more time on my game than I have ever done.”

Part of that is with Sky Television commentator and coach Ewen Murray on the range in addition to sessions with renowned mind coach Karl Morris off of it, and the Ulsterman admitted that the combination is working in his attempt to climb back up both the Official World Golf Ranking and The European Tour Order of Merit.

“I am getting happier now and starting to smile on the golf course again,” he said. “I'm also more comfortable on the golf course than I have been for some time. I am just hungry to be in contention again. I haven't been there for the last few years for obvious reasons and I want to get myself up there again because I think there are a lot more wins in me.

“My boys are doing great at home too and they are happy for me to get out there playing. They want to see me doing well and it's nice to call them after a tournament and for them to say ‘Well done Daddy.' I'm getting there.”

Five-time Ryder Cup player Clarke will headline the field but he will face a strong challenge in his quest for an 11th European Tour International Schedule title, both from his fellow European Tour Members and the Asian contingent.

Leading The European Tour charge will be defending champion Mikko Ilonen who became the first Finnish golfer to win on Tour when he triumphed in the tournament 12 months ago.

It proved the catalyst for a superb 2007 for the 28 year old from Lahti who went on to prove his growing maturity in the game with a second victory in the Scandinavian Masters at Arlandastad Golf in Stockholm in August, on his way to a career-high 34th on the Order of Merit.

Although Ilonen will be the defending champion, it will not be at the golf course when he claimed his maiden European title – the Damai Indah Golf and Country Club – for this year's tournament has moved across Jakarta to the Cengkareng Golf Club, the venue where Thaworn Wiratchant won the first co-sanctioned Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open in March 2005.

About Astro Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open

The Astro Enjoy Jakarta Indonesian Open is now in its fourth year and this year pay TV provider Astro together with the Jakarta Tourism Board return as the primary sponsor for the ‘Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open'. This tournament is the result of a partnership between the Asian Tour and the Indonesian Golf Association that was introduced in 2003. The 2008 tournament offers a prize purse of US$1,200,000.00 and will feature world class players who will once again compete in this prestigious event. The Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open will be held from February 14 to 17 at the Cengkareng Golf Course, located next to the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport .

About Astro

Pay TV provider Astro began operations in Indonesia on February 28, 2006 with 48 channels that consists of the Citta, Arena, Sinema and Dinasti plans. The Citta plan provides basic entertainment that includes children's entertainment, science, news, entertainment, music, film and terrestrial television. Within this plan, there are 5 (five) self produced channels that include Astro Ceria (a special channel for children), Astro Aruna (a special channel for Indonesian ‘sinetron' soap operas for the female segment), Astro Kirana (a special channel for non-Hollywood films), Astro Xpresi (an Indonesian youth lifestyle and infotainment channel), and Astro Awani (a special news and lifestyle channel). Three of the five channels, namely Astro Ceria, Astro Kirana, and Astro Aruna, have been exported to Malaysia and Brunei since September 1, 2006. The five self produced channels are what differentiate Astro from other pay TV operators.