Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Clarke’s class can inspire fellow Irish stars
HOW fantastic to see Darren Clarke topping a star-studded leaderboard and back in the winner’s enclosure for the first time in more than a decade.
Clarke’s win on the PGA Tour Champions in Florida sealed his first victory since lifting the Claret Jug at Royal St George’s in 2011.
And he did it in style, pipping two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer and Jim Furyk by a shot, and Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez by two.
Afterwards an emotional Cl arke, w h o promi sed to celebrate his success with Sea Breeze cocktails in the Bahamas, said: “It has been a long time coming.”
Clarke’s winning return is testament to his work ethic and inner determination to prove his quality after spending so long in the shadows of the game.
To go nine years without a win and see your star wane over a prolonged period of time must have been difficult, but Darren kept plugging away.
His triumph at the Timbertech Championship also provided an unexpected shot in the arm for Irish golf with the Masters now just eight days away.
Grand Slam chasing Rory Mcilroy, Open champion Shane Lowry, Graeme Mcdowell and James Sugrue are all scheduled to tee it up at Augusta.
The likes of Lowry, G-mac and Padraig Harrington also play at this week’s H o u s t o n Open and they’ll all have a big week in their sights.
Since records began, the week before the Masters has been one of the strangest in golf and this year won’t be any different, albeit for unusual reasons.
The threat of Covid doesn’t look like easing anytime soon and, with some fans allowed into Memorial, the spectre will hang heavier in the air this weekend.
With players one positive test away from missing out on Augusta , it ’s littl e wonder some have opted t o st ay a t home and prepare from a distance.
Others like Lowry need to roll the dice. He’ll be desperate to get sharp again after a period of lockdown back home in Ireland. Shane faces a massive three weeks in the States, starting in Houston and ending at the RSM Classic at Sea Island the week after the Masters.
Lowry needs to roll the dice & get sharp
It’s a challenging run, but also a wonderful chance for him to etch his name in the history books and add to his major haul.
He’ l l h av e s e e n C l a r k e carrying the flag in Florida and the memories of Irish golfers winning nine majors between 2007 and 2014 will have come flooding back.
Small margins count for a lot at the top end of the sport. Lowry, Mcilroy and company could receive a bounce from Darren’s success.
Hopefully Clarke sipping cocktails at a beach bar in the Bahamas is a sign of things to come for Irish golf.