The Irish Golf Club Gazette

12/22/2012

The Abu Dhabi Decision

It was widely seen as a straight choice between Clarke and Paul McGinley when the tournament committee meets in Abu Dhabi next month, but last year’s Open champion, Darren Clarke, is not so sure – and that may bring 2010 captain Colin Montgomerie back into the equation.

Clarke, in London to receive the PGA Recognition Award for his services to golf, said: “I think it could well affect who is appointed.

“A lot of people, myself included, were surprised when Tom Watson was appointed.

“It’s a big statement and brilliant for the event – there are few more iconic figures in golf, he’s adored in Scotland (the 2014 match is at Gleneagles) and it sends out a statement that they are very serious about winning the trophy back.

“Maybe we have to have a look and consider other people as well. Whoever it is standing on that stage opposite Tom Watson needs a huge presence.

“We seriously need the right man for the job.

“We do have an (unwritten) rule where we don’t ask anybody to do it again, but we might have to look at that.”

Those words might well reduce the odds on Montgomerie being asked to do the job again in his home country.

Initially earmarked for Gleneagles, the eight-time European number one agreed to take on the position two years ago at Celtic Manor and led Europe to a nail-biting one-point victory.

Clarke does add that if he is asked to take charge it would be an honour to do so, but the Northern Irishman also thinks he could have one more playing appearance in him.

The last of his five caps came at The K Club in 2006 – amazingly he won all his three games just six weeks after his first wife Heather lost her battle with breast cancer.

“If they asked me to do it it would be a difficult decision to take. I’m still only 44 and it’s not that long ago that I won The Open,” he said.

It was in July last year, of course, that Clarke, 111th in the world at the time, triumphed at Sandwich.

He has since dropped back to 145th in the rankings, but a top-10 finish in the Australian PGA Championship has raised his optimism for 2013 and beyond.

12/21/2012

Harrington Confirms Volvo Entry

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Pádraig Harrington confirmed his entry on Thursday as entries closed for the 2013 Volvo Golf Champions. The European Tour’s elite year-opening ‘tournament of champions’ for European Tour winners only will have a field of 35 players who have won 234 European Tour titles between them including 14 Major titles.

Harrington qualifies along with along with Darren Clarke, Retief Goosen, Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal and Thomas Björn as a current Tour Member with more than ten European Tour victories. They will compete against 28 European Tour champions from 2012 in the year-opening Volvo Golf Champions at the Durban Country Club from the 10th to the 13th January 2013 where players will compete for a prize fund of €2million.

Five South Africans have qualified for the Volvo Golf Champions this year with 27-time winner on the European Tour, Ernie Els, heading the strong home challenge along with defending Champion, Branden Grace, the afore-mentioned, Retief Goosen, 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen and first time winner on the European Tour, Jbe Kruger. They will face a tough challenge from a field that is represented by a total of 16 nationalities including Matteo Manassero, Miguel Ángel Jiménez,Jeev Milkha Singh, Nicolas Colsaerts, Paul Casey, Peter Hanson, Paul Lawrie, Francesco Molinari and Henrik Stenson.

Harrington, who won the 2012 PGA Grand Slam of Golf, explained: “I was playing really well towards the end of 2012 and now that I am part-way through my winter training programme, I am looking forward to getting out on Tour and competing. I think this is an ideal tournament to start my year off where there is a limited elite field to test myself against, no cut and beautiful weather. It is a great event and I am very much looking forward to returning to South Africa in January.”

As Christmas approaches, two-time US Open winner Retief Goosen also shared some positive news as he continues his recovery from the back operation he had in August. He explained: “Everything has been going really well with my rehabilitation and I am back out on the course enjoying playing golf with my family and friends. I am confident I will be ready to compete come the Volvo Champions and I’m very excited to play my first tournament back at the Durban Country Club in front of my home fans.”

The renowned Durban Country Club was recently voted one of the Top 100 golf courses in the world by Golf Magazine USA and boasts an impressive résumé having hosted the South African Open on no fewer than 17 occasions.

The Volvo World Golf Challenge is Volvo’s global tournament for customers. This year, more than 30 countries are taking part, with 68 players making it all the way to the World Final. The most successful performers amongst the World Finalists get the chance to team up with the stars of the European Tour during the Volvo Golf Champions, live on television, in front of a worldwide audience of millions.

PGA Reward Clarke Achievement

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Five-time Ryder Cup player and 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke added another accolade to his long list of achievements after receiving the PGA Recognition Award at The Professional Golfers’ Association annual fundraising lunch.

Clarke, who collected the award the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, is the first Northern Irishman to receive the honour and joins an elite list of former recipients including Sir Nick Faldo, Tony Jacklin, Seve Ballesteros and 2012 Ryder Cup winning captain Jose Maria Olazabal.

The 43-year-old, who is one of the most popular players on and off the circuit, has had a distinguished career since turning professional in 1990.

The pinnacle came in July 2011 when he won the Open Championship at Royal St Georges – for his first major victory. That secured him his 14th European Tour title - and 22nd worldwide - stretching back to his maiden success in 1993 when he won the Alfred Dunhill Open.

Other notable achievements include winning the English Open three times, claiming the European Open in 2001 and becoming the second player after Tiger Woods to win two World Golf Championships.

Clarke has also illuminated the Ryder Cup since making the first of his five appearances in 1997. He has been on the winning team on four occasions, with the Northern Irishman producing an emotionally-driven display at the K Club, shortly after the loss of his wife Heather. Clarke was also a vice captain in 2010 and 2012.

Off the course, Clarke, who has two sons – Tyrone and Connor, has established the Darren Clarke Foundation and at the luncheon received a cheque for £25,000 from The PGA to help its work which supports junior golf in Ireland and raises funds for Breast Cancer Awareness. He is also involved with the Darren Clarke Golf School.

He was awarded an OBE in the 2012 New Year’s Honours lists for services to golf, which he collected from Buckingham Palace last month.

"This is a great honour to receive the PGA Recognition Award" said Clarke.

"It is always nice to recognised for the achievements in your career and this is certainly a very special award."

PGA chief executive Sandy Jones said: “The PGA is delighted to be able to present Darren Clarke with the PGA Recognition Award for2012.

“Darren is one of the world’s leading players and one that most club golfers can relate to and I suppose you could describe him as a local hero.

“I can’t think of anyone who didn’t support Darren on the day he finally secured his Open Championship at Royal St George’s.

“Darren portrays everything that is great about our game. He is still a great traditionalist and has never forgotten his roots and all those early lessons playing his golf in Northern Ireland.

“I know that he will savour the PGA award and the recognition of his fellow professionals.”

GMAC Faces Tough Ryder Cup

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Graeme McDowell has said it is tough to separate Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley in the decision for European captain for the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

A decision will be made on the leader of the European team in January, with the two Irish players heading the race to mastermind what would be a third successive win.

McDowell told RTÉ: "Darren is certainly going to be a Ryder Cup captain at some point. Paul McGinley has really positioned himself with a great opportunity as well.

"Either of those two guys would be amazing captains at Gleneagles and it will be an interesting one to see who wins that race.

"Like I say, they’ll both be amazing captains and both will get my vote. It is a pretty tough one to separate.”

McDowell was part of victorious team in Medina that completed a remarkable comeback to defend the trophy against a shell-shocked US team this year.

Tom Watson has been appointed captain for the visiting Americans in 2014 and McDowell believes it is a sign of their intentions coming to Scotland.

"In 2010 at Celtic Manor, it was really special to be that guy who got the job done for the team. The Ryder Cup is such an amazing feeling because you share it everyone. You share it will 11 team-mates and everyone involved.

"Personally I didn’t have the best weekend ever but it was amazing to stand on the sidelines and watch my team get the job done.

"The celebrations were pretty amazing and it was great for the Ryder Cup in general. With Tom Watson being announced as the incoming captain for America, I guess it shows what it means to them and what the Ryder Cup is beginning to feel to America.

"Hopefully we can follow it up with a great captain ourselves and bring on 2014."

McDowell finished his season with a much-craved win in the World Golf Challenge in California and feels that his form over the year, and the victory at the conclusion of the season, will leave his game in good shape for a return in February.

He said: "I’m not playing again until the middle of February so I’m enjoying a nice break. I’ll be working pretty hard in January trying to get the game in shape and I look forward to a big season hopefully next year.

"The Ryder Cup was pretty amazing to be part of. It was the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history. It was certainly the highlight of my year. There is no doubt about. Personally the major champions were amazing and I was very happy with the consistent play this year.

"It was nice to finish off with a win as well so I’ll take some momentum and confidence in the off-season and I’ll be coming out ready to go in February and ready for a big year.

"The year was in danger of kind of finishing a bit frustrating if you like because I knew how well I played this season and I didn’t have much to show for it. It was nice to get the win under the belt. I’ll rest up and recharge and get ready for a big year to hopefully keep this amazing run of Irish golf going. It is fun to be part of."

McDowell was speaking in Crumlin Hospital as he made a donation of $200,000 to their cardiac ward as part of the G-Mac Foundation, the initative he set up to support children's medical research.

He explained why the care and work by the hospital meant they were the ideal recipient from his foundation

"I had a chance to come and visit the Cardiac Unit here in Crumlin Hospital a couple of years back. I was amazed at the work here. Open heart surgery on new born babies is just pretty difficult to fathom really.

"I saw the facilities, or lack thereof here at the hospital and how desperately they needed funding for the new cardiac ward. I launched my G-Mac Foundation to try to raise funds for projects like this one.

"When I got together with the Childrens Medical Research Foundation, I wanted do something that was cross-border.

"When I found out that this was the main cardiac unit for the whole of Ireland, it was the perfect fit.

"I’ve really enjoyed working alongside them and raising funds and we’ve done well so far. But there is a long way to go and I’m looking forward to helping them out next year."

12/20/2012

Rory Confirms Irish Open

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Rory McIlroy has paid tribute to the “incredible” home fans who make the Irish Open so special – and admitted that he would love to win “a few” Irish Opens during the course of his already glittering career.

So it was no surprise that the 23 year old Holywood legend confirmed his decision to compete at Carton House in Co. Kildare from June 27-30 2013 and declared: “It’s very special because it’s my home event.

“The history of the Irish Open is very special too, with such a great list of champions from Nick Faldo to Seve (Ballesteros), Bernhard Langer, Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington. So many European greats have won that tournament and I think that’s what makes it so special.”

McIlroy was bowled over by the astonishing support that he, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke received in their native Northern Ireland at Royal Portrush earlier this year, when European Tour attendance records were smashed.

He insisted: “The fans are incredible. Obviously the support I get back home is unbelievable but the support the Irish fans give in general is great. They are very knowledgeable and I think Portrush this year, with its record attendances, was just incredible, seeing so many people come out to watch us play.”

McIlroy, who will be targeting a third Major Championship in 2013, will be competing in his seventh Irish Open and his second over the Montgomerie course at Carton House.

The global superstar of today was just a 16 year old amateur when the event was played at Carton House in 2005, when McIlroy missed the cut. He recalled: “I like Carton House and I’ve a little bit of history there. It was the first Irish Open I played, over the Monty course, and I have great memories of going down there (from Belfast) as part of Irish amateur squads. it’s a place I enjoy going back to.”

Since then, the 2011 US Open Champion and 2012 US PGA winner has contested a further six Irish Opens, with his best finishes coming at Adare Manor in 2008 where he finished seventh and this year’s event in Portrush where he was tenth behind Welshman Jamie Donaldson.

The challenge of following in the footsteps of Harrington (2007) and Carton House’s Touring Professional, Shane Lowry (2009), is a prime target for McIlroy in 2013 and beyond. He added: “Winning the Irish Open would be very special.

“I know Padraig Harrington has talked a lot about how he felt when he won and how proud he was of that achievement. I’d love to win it, although it’s tough to play in front of your home crowds at times. It brings its own pressures and you want to do so well for them and they live and breathe every shot with you!

“When you make a bogey there’s a big ‘aahhhh’ and when you make a birdie there’s a big roar and it’s tough sometimes not to try to too hard - but hopefully I am not going to win not just one Irish Open but a few Irish Opens in my career.”