Clarke obliges after being urged to follow path of McIlroy and McDowell

After being plunged into the shadows by his own form and that of his fellow Northern Irishmen, Darren Clarke has emerged as a contender for the Open. Nick Westby reports.

THERE is something about Irishmen at golf’s major events.

First there was Padraig Harrington ending the eight-year European drought with an Open victory at Carnoustie four years ago which sparked a run of three major wins in 13 months.

Then there was Graeme McDowell surprising the world at Pebble Beach by winning the US Open 13 months ago.

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And need we mention Rory McIlroy, barging through the door with all the gusto of youth at Congressional last month to keep the American national title in Ulster.

The inspirational role Darren Clarke played in both his compatriots’ rise was recognised.

Clarke was regarded as the wise old sage, a former Ryder Cup star and Ulster sorcerer.

Until this week at Royal St George’s, that is, when the 42-year-old decided it was time to take some of the limelight back.

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“There was a lot of people telling me it’s been great that those two boys can do it, it’s your turn now and blah, blah,” laughed Clarke.

“But it was such a big deal to have Rory winning on the back of G-Mac. Everybody was over the moon with it.

“But there was certainly a feeling of them telling me to get my finger out.”

Among the early starters yesterday, Clarke showed there is life left yet in what was once a flagging career.

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He carded a second successive 68 to climb to four under and the top of the leaderboard.

The world came to watch McIlroy at toasted Sandwich yesterday, but it is Clarke who will tee off in the final group of a major today.

The affable, barrel-chested Irishman has been a peripheral figure over the last few years, and is perhaps best remembered for his unbeaten performance at the 2006 Ryder Cup just a month after his wife Heather lost her cancer battle.

But five years on he is happy again and engaged to be married, and in position to claim the biggest golfing prize of his life in the twilight of his career.

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“Nothing could be more difficult than that particular week,” said the 42-year-old when asked about the raw emotions of The K Club five years ago.

“This would mean an awful lot, but obviously this is only after two rounds – there is an awful long way to go yet.

“And I believe the forecast for the weekend is very, very poor. I quite look forward to that, but the course is going to play very, very tough.

“If that’s the case, then the tournament is still wide open for an awful lot of players.”

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Clarke has not had a top-10 finish in a major since he was third at Royal Lytham a decade ago.

He owes his place in his 20th Open to taking the 30th and final exempt spot off last year’s European Tour money list by less than £2,000.

Clarke’s best chance to win previously came at Troon in 1997.

He was clear of the field there but was overtaken by Justin Leonard’s closing 65.

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At Lytham four years later he was one of a number of players within touching distance of the title going into the final round only to be left in the dirt with the rest of the peloton as David Duval accelerated away.

He came into the 140th Open Championship with little attention on him, despite the fact that he has that winning feeling about himself again.

Clarke, who won the Iberdrola Open in Spain just two months ago, described his round yesterday in the sunshine at Sandwich as ‘adventurous’.

He birdied the short third, double-bogeyed the next after a chip came back down a bank to him, but then rolled in an eagle putt of around 80 feet at the long seventh.

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He went joint top with a birdie on the eighth, bogeyed the 10th, birdied the 12th and 13th, took six on the 547-yard next after pitching over the green, then failed to get up and down from sand on the 16th.

Fittingly, Clarke finished on a high, cutting in a seven-iron at the last and making the 20-footer for a birdie that at the time looked to have contributed to a good clubhouse total.

That only got better as the wind whipped up in the afternoon.

His round also began on a high, with laughter reverberating around the two grandstands overlooking the first tee.

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“That was somebody whistling at me when I was bending over stretching,” Clarke explained.

“I said ‘I hope that was a lady’, but he whistled again, same guy. I’m doing something all wrong.”

Clarke has reason to smile after meeting former Miss Northern Ireland Alison Campbell in a blind date set up by 2010 US Open champion McDowell, moving to Portrush and becoming engaged in December.

“I’ve got a wonderful fiancee. Alison is a great girl and instrumental in my getting my life back on track,” he said.

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To rediscover his touch on the greens, Clarke has gone back to a relationship of old, with renowned pyschologist Bob Rotella.

Clarke said: “I’ve been fortunate this week to be able to spend a bit of time with Bob Rotella, an old friend, and we’ve worked on a few things and it’s certainly helped.

“Whenever I used to play in America I would see him regularly, but I’m playing more predominantly in Europe now. It’s been tougher to see him. Dr Bob’s process, though is very simple and that seems to suit me very well.”