Darren Clarke
Name:
Darren Christopher ClarkeAlso known as:
ClarkeyCountry:
N. IrelandBorn:
Aug 14, 1968 in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, N. Ireland.Original/Home Club:
Dungannon GC, N. IrelandOccupation:
Professional golferTurned Pro:
1990Website:
https://www.darrenclarke.comMAJORS (1): The Open (2011). Ryder Cup player (1997, '99, 2002, '04, '06). Ryder Cup captain (2016). Multiple wins on the European, US PGA, Japan and Asian Tours. Appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, OBE (2012).
Darren Clarke is one of the world's leading Tour players who plays predominantly on the European Tour, but also in the USA, Asia and on other international tours. He attended college at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, before turning professional in 1990.
Clarke's illustrious playing career saw him become a legendary Ryder Cup player, culminating in his 2006 appearance, six weeks after the death of his wife Heather. Contributing three points from his three matches, he was warmly embraced by players on both sides as Europe went about recording a famous 18.5 to 9.5 points victory at Ireland's K Club.
Clarke was made an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2012. He currently lives in Portrush in Northern Ireland.
America
Sanford Health
Played as the Sanford International presented by Cambria (Sept 17-19). Darren Clarke (N.Ire) beat Kyoung-Ju "KJ" Choi (S Kor) with a birdie at the second playoff hole (par-4 18th). Steve Flesch (USA) was eliminated at the first playoff hole. [Minnehaha CC, Sioux Falls, South Dakota].
America
Mitsubishi
Played as the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai (Jan 21-23; PGA Tour Champions season-opener). Second-placed Retief Goosen (RSA) finished 2 shots behind Darren Clarke (N.Ire), who recorded his second PGA Tour Champions win. [Hualālai course, Hualālai Resort, Big Island, Hawaii].
America
TimberTech
Played as the TimberTech Championship (Oct 30-Nov 1). Second-placed Jim Furyk (USA) and defending champion Bernhard Langer (Ger) finished 1 shot behind 52-year-old Darren Clarke (N.Ire). Clarke recorded his first PGA Tour Champions win in his 40th start on the Tour. [Old Course, Broken Sound Club, Boca Raton, FL].
Majors
R&A
The Open Championship (140th) (July 14-17). Second-placed Phil Mickelson (USA) and Dustin Johnson (USA) finished 3 shots behind Clarke (N.Ire). This was the first win in a major championship for the popular 42-year-old Irishman. [Royal St George's GC, Sandwich, Kent].
Europe
Iberdrola
Played as the Iberdrola Open (May 12-15; next played as the Mallorca Golf Open in 2021). Second-placed Chris Wood (Eng) and David Lynn (Eng) finished 3 shots behind Darren Clarke (N.Ire), who claimed his 13th win on the European Tour. [Pula GC, Son Servera, Mallorca, Spain].
Europe
KLM
Played as the KLM Open (Aug 21-14). Second-placed Paul McGinley (Ire) finished 4 shots behind fellow Irishman Clarke (N.Ire). [Kennemer G&CC, Zandvoort, Netherlands].
Asia
BMW
Played as the BMW Asian Open (April 24-27; Asian/Eurpn Trs event). Second-placed Robert-Jan Derksen (Neth) finished 1 shot behind Clarke (N.Ire), who enjoyed his first European Tour win in almost 5 years. [Tomson GC, Pudong, Shanghai, China].
Japan
Mitsui Sumitomo
Played as the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters (Nov 10-13; Japan Tr event). Second-placed Mitsuhiro Tateyama (Jpn) finished 2 shots behind defending champion Clarke (N.Ire), who recorded the last of his three Japan Tour wins. [Gotemba course, Taiheiyo Club, Gotemba, Shizuoka, Jpn].
Japan
Mitsui Sumitomo
Played as the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters (Nov 11-14; Japan Tr event). Second-placed Lee Westwood (Eng) and Nozomi Kawahara (Jpn) finished 6 shots behind wire-to-wire winner Clarke (N.Ire), who recorded his second Japan Tour win. [Gotemba course, Taiheiyo Club, Gotemba, Shizuoka, Jpn].
WGC
NEC
Played as the WGC-NEC Invitational (Aug 21-24). Second-placed Jonathan Kaye (USA) finished 4 shots behind Clarke (N. Ire). [South course, Firestone CC, Akron, Ohio].
Europe
Compass
Played as the Compass Group English Open (June 6-9). Second-placed Søren Hansen (Den) finished 3 shots behind Darren Clarke (N.Ire), who won this title for the third time in four years. [Arden course, Forest of Arden CC, Meriden, nr Birmingham].
Europe
Smurfit
Played as the Smurfit European Open (July 5-8). Second-placed Thomas Bjørn (Den), Ian Woosnam (Wales) and Pádraig Harrington (Ire) finished 3 shots behind Darren Clarke (N.Ire). [Palmer North course, K Club, Straffan, nr Dublin].
Japan
x
Played as The Crowns - International Invitation Golf (April 26-29; Japan Tr event; aka the Chunichi Crowns). Second-placed Keiichiro Fukabori (Jpn) and Shinichi Yokota (Jpn) finished 4 shots behind first-time Japan Tour winner Clarke (N.Ire). [Wago course, Nagoya GC, Aichi, Japan].
Africa
Dimension Data
Played as the Dimension Data Pro-Am (Feb 1-4; Sunshine Tr 2000/01 season). Second-placed Tjaart van der Walt (RSA) and Retief Goosen (RSA) finished 2 shots behind Clarke (N.Ire). [Gary Player CC, Sun City Resort, North West Prov, RSA].
Europe
Compass
Played as the Compass Group English Open (June 1-4). Second-placed Michael Campbell (NZ) and Mark James (Eng) finished 1 shot behind defending champion Darren Clarke (N.Ire). [Arden course, Forest of Arden CC, Meriden, nr Birmingham].
WGC
Andersen Consulting
Played as the WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship (Feb 23-27). Clarke (N.Ire) beat Tiger Woods (USA) 4 and 3 in the 36-hole final. [Champions course, La Costa Resort, Carlsbad, Calif.]
Europe
Compass
Played as the Compass Group English Open (June 3-6). Second-placed John Bickerton (Eng) finished 2 shots behind Darren Clarke (N.Ire), who recorded his fifth European Tour win. [Hanbury Manor CC, Ware, Herts].
Europe
Benson & Hedges
Played as the Benson & Hedges International Open (May 14-17). Second-placed Santiago Luna (Esp) finished 3 shots behind Clarke (N.Ire). [The Oxfordshire, Milton Common, nr Oxford].
Europe
Volvo
Played as the Volvo Masters (Oct 29-Nov 1; Eurpn Tr season-ending event). Second-placed Andrew Coltart (Scot) finished 2 shots behind Clarke (N.Ire). [Montecastillo Resort, Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain].
Awards
Eurpn Tr
Clarke (N.Ire) recorded the season's lowest stroke average on the European Tour. Colin Montgomerie (Scot) was second with 69.66; Lee Westwood (Eng) was third with 69.85.
Europe
Linde
Played as the Linde German Masters (Oct 3-6). Second-placed Mark Davis (Eng) finished 1 shot behind Clarke (N.Ire), who recorded his second European Tour win. [Berliner G&CC Motzener See, Motzen, nr Berlin].
Europe
Alfred Dunhill
Played as the Alfred Dunhill Open (Oct 7-10). Second-placed Vijay Singh (Fiji) and Nick Faldo (Eng) finished 2 shots behind first-time European Tour winner Clarke (N.Ire). [Royal Zoute GC, Knokke-Heist, West Flanders, Belgium].
Tournaments:
European Tour: 2021 marks the 50th and last season of the world renowned European Tour, launched in April 1972 at the Spanish Open. From 2022 the Tour will be sponsored by Dubai-based global supply chain and ports operator DP World, and will be known as the DP World Tour.
South African Open: December 2021 events in South Africa have again been impacted by the Covid pandemic. The South African Open (Dec 2-5) will no longer be played as a DP World Tour event, and the Alfred Dunhill Championship (Dec 9-12) has been cancelled.
Who's Who:
Bernhard Langer: at age 64, Langer collected a record sixth Charles Schwab Cup, the only player to have won the season-long points chase more than twice. He also topped the PGA Tour Champions money-list for the 11th time out of a possible 13 since 2008.
Carlota Ciganda: the five-time Solheim Cup star was delighted to record a fourth Ladies European Tour win in her home national championship, the Ladies Spanish Open.
Lee Elder: Trailblazer, Ryder Cup player, four-time PGA Tour winner and eight-time Senior PGA Tour winner, Lee Elder died on November 28, aged 87. In 1975 he became the first African American golfer to play in the Masters tournament, and in so doing provided one of the pivotal moments in the history of professional golf.
Golf World Top 100: Best Golf Courses in Europe. From France to Spain to the Netherlands and Norway, the Golf World Top 100 panel reveals the places you have to play (published 20 October 2021).
New 27-hole golf complex to be built in southern Belgium
A new golf complex in southern Belgium, close to the border with Luxembourg, will start construction in June 2021.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club "makes its tournament debut with the hosting of the Italian Open on the European Tour" by Richard Humphreys
Gamble Sands opens short course:
David McLay Kidd’s 14-hole QuickSands short course has opened for play at Gamble Sands in Brewster, Washington.
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