The Irish Golf Club Gazette: Clarke Out of Desert Classic

1/29/2013

Clarke Out of Desert Classic

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Darren Clarke champion was entered for the final event of the European Tour’s desert swing . Omega dubai Desrt Calssic.but his name was notably absent from the entry list over the weekend.

A spokesman for International Sports Management said: “Darren was involved in a minor traffic accident last week and is suffering from a bit of stiffness. That’s all we know.”

The 2011 Open Champion is a great lover of cars and motorbikes.

At the 2008 Australian Open at Royal Sydney he was lucky to limp away with nothing more than a bruised leg when he went head first into a bunker in a runaway golf cart. He was being driven off the course with Australia’s Robert Allenby after torrential rain stopped play but the driver sent to retrieve the players from the furthest point on the course failed to notice the yawning bunker in the middle of the sixth fairway.

Iin May 2007 the Ryder Cup star suffered severe bruising when he flipped his 250cc off-road buggy in a field at his Surrey home.

A few years earlier, Clarke took delivery of a high-speed trike for Christmas and immediately crashed it into the wall of his garage.

Paul McGinley, Gareth Maybin, Peter Lawrie, Shane Lowry, Damien McGrane and Michel Hoey all play this week at the Emirates Golf Club.

Clarke however says he will play as scheduled in India next week.

Andrew Chandler says Clarke suffered a stiff neck and "just needed to rest this week" after a car in which he was a passenger was in an accident.

Clarke will be one of 24 players taking part in next week's inaugural Pearl Golf Premier League. The event, inspired by cricket's Indian Premier League, features eight franchises that have bought the players at an auction. The teams take part in a 14-hole competition rather than the traditional 18 at the Aamby Valley golf course from February 7-10th.