Bahamas Bliss for Clarke

British Open champion Darren Clarke has married his fiancee Alison Campbell in a small beach wedding in the Bahamas.

The 43-year-old Northern Irishman made the announcement on his website, revealing that former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell — who introduced the couple to each other through a blind date — was present at the ceremony along with members of Clarke's family and agent Chubby Chandler.

Clarke says it was a "pretty stunning occasion, as well as a very happy one."

Clarke has previously credited his partner with putting his life "back on track" following the death of his first wife Heather in 2006 after a battle with breast cancer.

Clarke became one of the British Open's most popular champions when he won at Royal St. George's last year.

Congratulations to Alison and Darren....

Bubba Could Play Irish Open

The new Masters champion, Bubba Watson, has spoken of his time in Ireland playing golf – saying he could return for this year’s Irish Open at Royal Portrush.

In a report in The Irish Sun Watson explained that he spent part of his first summer at college on a golfing trip to Ireland with fellow students Boo Weekly and Heath Slocum. Now he could return to play in the 2012 Irish Open as a perfect links warm-up for the British Open in July.

The report catalogues Watson’s love affair with links golf in Ireland and confirms he could make the field when Northern Ireland hosts the Irish Open.

“Maybe!” said the 33-year-old Watson when asked if he would make an appearance at Royal Portrush, home course to major winners Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell.

Watson said: “I played links golf for the first time when I went to Ireland with my high school buddies when I was 18 and played six courses in about 13 days.

“I’ve played Ballybunion, Waterville, Lahinch twice, the par three where you hit over the rock. Royal County Down, Portrush, Portmarnock.

“We landed in Dublin and went around the coast. We got a hotel, played golf, got a hotel, played more golf.

“Lahinch was the first links I ever played. We arrived at three in the afternoon, I remember I hit the green on the first and the fairway.

“Then on the second I missed it behind the bunker and said to the caddie I was going to flop it.

“And the caddie said ‘you can’t do that’. But I played it anyway and it went straight off the green. We played Lahinch twice and played it the next morning and then went to the next course.”

Source: The Irish Sun