First top 10 for Clarke on Seniors Tour

IRELAND’S Darren Clarke secured his first top ten finish on the Champions Tour (Seniors) over the weekend closing with a seven-under 65 to tie for tenth place in the Oasis Championship in Florida.

The big Dungannon man hasn’t won his victory in the Open Championship of 2011 at Royal St George’s and his form since joining the Champions Tour in August of last year hasn’t exactly set the world on fire either with just $76,000 banked from six events prior to the weekend and his best finish a tie for 24th place.

However, this latest performance might just kick-start his seniors career and according to the stats he is currently the longest driver on the Champions Tour averaging 300 yards, but they say “you drive for show and putt for dough”, so let’s hope he can do both, in the coming months.

Staying with the Champions Tour the winner at the weekend Bernhard Langer notched his 39th win as a senior and his second of this season already which sees him pass Hale Irwin as the most successful player in the history of the Champions Tour, winning $27,196,504 to date which averages out at $115,729 per event played or $37,000 per round played.

Clarke has now played seven events on the PGA Tour Champions since he turned 50 last August with last night’s top-10 worth $39,100.

At the presentation of the prizes for the McSweeney Arms sponsored competition at the Ross GC were, from left, Maurice Coffey, winner Jonathan Casey, Kevin O’Callaghan from sponsor McSweeney Arms, club captain John Cushkelly, and Renaldas Bendikas.