Royal Dublin
Darren Clarke
Darren Clarke is considered one of the most talented players to emerge from the island of Ireland.
The big man from Dungannon, County Tyrone, turned pro in 1990 with a handicap of plus-four, rounding off his amateur career with victory in the Spanish Amateur and the Irish Close championships.
He went on to win 20 professional titles, including two WGC Championships, and, on Irish soil, the 2001 Smurfit European Open at The K Club.
Darren’s crowning glory came in 2011, a few weeks before his 43rd birthday, when he won The Open Championship at Royal St George’s.
The golfing world rejoiced for a player who had graced five European Ryder Cup sides, including the 2006 staging at The K Club which was played shortly after the death of his wife Heather.
Darren’s role in the European victory for Ian Woosnam’s team brought tears of emotion from the player, his caddie, and his team mates.
Ten years later Darren’s Ryder Cup career climaxed with his captaincy of Europe at Hazeltine.
Unlike Oakland Hills in 2004 when he, Pádraig Harrington and Paul McGinley were part of a winning team in America, Hazeltine proved a breakthrough occasion for the USA and Darren had to suffer the disappointment of being a losing captain.
On a happier note, Darren’s Open victory and the majors won by Rory McIlroy (4), Pádraig Harrington (3), and Graeme McDowell (2010 US Open), paved the way for the historic return of The Open Championship to Royal Portrush in 2019.
This was a dream come true for Darren who lives in Portrush, all the more so as he was given the honour of playing the first tee shot in The Open on his home course.
The Royal Dublin Golf Club
North Bull Island Nature Reserve , Dollymount, Dublin 3 , Ireland
Phone: +353 1 833 6346 Fax: +353 1 833 6504
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