Darren Clarke’s Team Boasts Two Major Champs, Rio Games Champ, FedEx Cup Champ & Paul O’Connell.

Chaska, Minnesota …

Darren Clarke boldly declared the Europe Ryder Cup team boasts the Masters Champion, the Open Champion, the Olympic Games gold medal winner, the FedEx Cup winner and now Irish ‘Grand Slam’ rugby legend, Paul O’Connell.

Clarke has been tight-lipped who he had recruited to speak to the team before confirming O’Connell, and arguably Ireland’s greatest-ever rugby player before injury forced the now 36-year old to retire earlier this year.

While Clarke has attended many Munster and Irish games with O’Connell in the side, Europe’s captain revealed he’d never met the 108-times Irish capped star and seven-time British and Irish Lions great, who led the team so memorably in 2009 in South Africa, until this week.

The very imposing figure of legendary Irish rugby star Paul O'Connell.

The very imposing figure of legendary Irish rugby star Paul O’Connell.

At Munster, O’Connell won two Heineken Cups, he was a member of three winning Ireland Six Nation sides, won the Grand Slam in 2009, and a four-time Triple Crown winner.

Undoubtedly, the highlight of O’Connell’s being a member of the 2005, 2009 and the victorious 2013 British and Irish Lions sides.

“I’ve gone to watch Paul many times playing for Munster and Ireland, and I’m off now to meet him for a first time but I’ve spoken to him at length about my whole thought process this week, about my thinking for the whole team, and a lot of imagery is connected with shoulder-to-shoulder, and Paul is aware of that,” said Clarke.

“There is no finer example of shoulder-to-shoulder than Paul.

“He has legendary status back home and in terms of leading the British and Irish Lions who always play away from home.

“So Paul’s more than keen to address the guys, and from everyone I have spoken to who have Paul address teams, he is seriously inspirational.

“I feel very fortunate and privileged that he’s here to join us.”

Though Clarke was asked what the two Irish, one German, one Belgian and lone Swede in his team would make of O’Connell.

“Yes, they’ve all been made aware of Paul, and I’m not that foolish, but thank you for asking,” Clarke replied laughing.

And it was then Clarke found himself drawn into the Ryder Cup phoney war when asked to respond to rival USA captain, Davis Love 111s ‘best assembled team ever’ comments.

“I don’t need to say anything as we have the Masters Champion, we have The Open Champion, we have the Olympic Champion and we have the FedEx Cup Champion,” said Clarke.

“You combine that with all the experience and with all of the rest of the team and the way those guys have played, I don’t really need to respond to that (Davis Love’s remark).

“I’ve got full confidence in our team.”



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