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Bleary-Eyed Clarke Happy to Party on
Clarke Renews Calls for Open to N.Ireland
Bleary-Eyed Clarke Happy to Party on
SANDWICH, July 18, 2011 (AFP) - Darren Clarke promised to celebrate his British Open triumph long and hard, and the popular Northern Irishman proved as good as his word here Monday.
Speaking to journalists for the traditional morning-after photo opportunity, a bleary-eyed Clarke admitted he had spent the night partying and had not had an opportunity to get any sleep.
"I've looked at the trophy all night and sort of semi figured out it's mine," said Clarke, who slurred some of his words as he clutched the famous Auld Claret jug.
"I probably won't get any sleep until tomorrow at some stage. Have to enjoy it when you can.
"I had quite a few pints and quite a few glasses of red wine and it all continued until about 30 minutes ago.
"It's been a very good night."
Clarke stopped short of his threat to fill the Claret jug with Guinness.
"I'm a little bit of a traditionalist. I feel a bit funny about putting stuff in the Claret Jug that shouldn't be in there," he said.
"There's nothing in it as yet. That may not be the case as the week goes by!"
"I have 294 (text) messages and the writing is far too small for me to look at them in this state, so I may look at them tomorrow at some stage and figure them out."
Clarke also revealed he had finally had the opportunity to speak to his two young sons, Tyrone and Conor, who lost their mother Heather to breast cancer in 2006.
Clarke, who said on Sunday that he believed his late wife had been watching over him, dedicated his first major title to his children.
"Tyrone was very pleased, very proud - he said he was going to tell everybody his dad was Open Champion.
"Conor wanted to know what he could spend all the money on.
"So it was a huge difference between the two, but they were both very happy."
Clarke meanwhile said he hoped Sunday's win would elevate him into the running for the Ryder Cup captaincy at some point in the next few years.
"It is definitely still an ambition at some stage," he said. "I think at some stage if I get the opportunity to be Ryder Cup captain, possibly I may have a little bit more respect from players having been a major champion."
Although Clarke's ranking points from his Open victory won't count towards qualification for next year's Ryder Cup in Chicago, he believed Sunday's win will have put him on captain Jose Maria Olazabal's radar.
"Unfortunately these points don't qualify for the team next year, but in saying that, I am a major champion, so Jose Maria will be paying attention, as he always does, so we'll see where that brings me," he said.
Clarke Renews Calls for Open to N.Ireland
BELFAST, July 19, 2011 (AFP) - Newly crowned British Open champion Darren Clarke on Tuesday made a fresh call for the tournament to be staged in Northern Ireland following the stunning recent success of golfers from the country.
Clarke joined Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy on Sunday as the third player from Northern Ireland to win one of golf's four Majors over the previous 13 months, an unprecedented run of success for the region.
Now Clarke believes the Royal and Ancient Club should attempt to capitalise on the surge of popularity for golf in Northern Ireland by bringing the oldest tournament in the sport to Royal Portrush.
R&A chief executive Peter Dawson has not ruled out a move to the course but has repeatedly cautioned the body needed to assess whether Portrush was capable of meeting infrastructure needs.
However Clarke was adamant that Portrush was fit to host the event for the first time since 1951.
"There is a lot of momentum behind it and this course is fit to host any tournament," he said at a homecoming press conference at the club.
"Logistics are tough when it comes to staging majors like the Open, or the Irish Open.
"But, if the R&A look at it, we play at Royal Lytham, which is a smaller acreage than here, and hopefully they can reassess.
"With us doing so well it would be great to see us get a major championship here."
Clarke has also donated his Open winners medal to the Royal Portrush club, where it will be displayed alongside that of Fred Daly for his 1947 success.
"I have been fortunate enough to have played around the world but, living in Portrush, this is the best course in the world and I am privileged to give them the medal so people can come into the club and see it," Clarke said.
"It maybe would have ended up in a drawer at home so I am glad people can come here and see it."