MY TEENAGE
DARREN Clarke can’t wait to play in his 27th Open – but he also can’t wait for it to be over.
Previous winner Clarke celebrates his 50th birthday next month and the Champions Tour beckons. And, next summer, his beloved Portrush will return to the Open rota.
“I’m excited,” the 49-year-old, left, said. “I love the Open but I’m more excited because we’re one year closer to Royal Portrush.
“Any time you play in The Open, it’s brilliant. Turning 50, I’ve a busy schedule now in the autumn, going to play a lot golf on the Champions Tour in America.”
When The Open last came to Carnoustie, in 2007, Clarke missed the cut, and the Ulsterman was tied 30th the previous occasion before that in 1999.
He said: “The Open is the biggest and best championship in the world, when you get chance to compete it’s always special.” RORY Mcilroy wants to rediscover his teenage abandon on his Carnoustie return.
Mcilroy was just 18 won the Silver Medal for the achievement of being The Open’s leading amateur when the championship was last played on the links by the Firth of Tay.
“It doesn’t seem like 11 years ago,” admitted Mcilroy yesterday.
It was a red letter day for Irish golf, as Padraig Harrington hogged the headlines by beating Sergio Garcia in a play-off to win his first major title.
While Harrington and Garcia were duelling it out in the playoff, Mcilroy was behind the 18th green playing with the Dubliner’s toddler son, Paddy.
“I think I saw Paddy today walking with Padraig,” the Holywood said. “He’s massive now.
“It’s so funny thinking back on that day. Mixed emotions. Sergio was one of my favourite players growing up, and he hadn’t won a major at that point.
“Obviously, Padraig is from back home. I honestly didn’t know who I wanted to win at that point. I think I was OK with either winning.
“Yeah, good memories. Obviously, I don’t have any kids yet, but hopefully, there’s a young amateur this week that’s waiting RORY Mcilroy admits that his run of four major titles in four years was freakish.
“Look, I’ve always said that my performances in the majors at that point that wasn’t the norm,” said Mcilroy, referring to his hot spell between 2011 and 2014.
“That was above my normal level, and then you go back down, and then you build yourself back up again. But everything finds its balance.
“And even the 14 that Tiger won, that was him at the peak of his powers – that was him at his 100 percent best.
“We’re not all going to be like that every single time. There’s going to be times where you do struggle with this and with that.” behind the 18th green on me, and I’m the one that’s coming up there and trying to win the tournament.”
Looking back on that time, a relaxed Mcilroy is able to laugh at the curly mop of a haircut he cultivated (above).
Asked if he could grow it again, he joked: “I probably could. I don’t want to, though – a few more greys in it these days.
“But looking back at the pictures, it’s funny. It’s cool. It’s great to look back on.
“When I looked in the mirror back then, I didn’t think it was as big as it was. Anyways, we live and we learn.”
It’s not just the hairstyle that has changed, obviously. It wasn’t long before Mcilroy’s Carnoustie success was overtaken by greater achievements.
After turning pro, he went on a fairytale run between 2011 and ‘14 that yielded four major titles – leapfrogging Harrington’s three in the process.
But the run dried up after back to back wins in The Open and US PGA championships in the summer of 2014 and Mcilroy found himself taking time off in the latter stages of last year to regain full fitness – and his appetite for the sport.
He returned renewed in that regard but his major drought has continued, largely thanks to his well documented putting woes.
This week, however, he wants to channel the positivity, energy and innocence of his teenage self in a bid to regain past glory.
“Sometimes I need to get back to that attitude where I play carefree and just happy to be here,” confessed the 29-year-old.
“It was my first Open Championship. I was just trying to soak everything in and was just so grateful to be here.
“If you’re happy in what you’re doing and just happy to be here, it’s where I feel the most comfortable. It’s where I feel like I can 100 per cent be myself and express myself.
“The more I can get into that mindset, the better I’ll play golf.”