Newly-married Darren Clarke has had little to celebrate so much so the current Open Champion has all but ruled out returning later this year to the Ryder Cup.
Clarke is one of eight ‘seeds’ in today’s commencing Volvo World Match-Play Championship but won’t play a first match to tomorrow (FRI) when he faces Robert Rock.
- Time looks to be running out for Darren Clarke to qualify for the Ryder Cup. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
Rock rolled more-fancied rival Tiger Woods earlier this year in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship whereas Clarke has not got out of first gear since his stunning Sandwich success some 10 months ago.
The 43-year old has contested 19 European Tour events since his stunning Sandwich success but missing the cut in nine including half of his six events this year.
And Clarke, a five-time Ryder Cup star, has played so poorly he’s not been invited next week’s Medinah uniform fitting session at Wentworth.
The current top-30 on the Ryder Cup points table will be measured by Glenmuir tailors during the course of next week’s BMW PGA Championship.
“I’m not on that list and I shouldn’t be on the list and nor would I expect to be,” he said
“I will be hoping that this could be a week to remind Jose Maria (Olazabal) I am still around but I have absolutely no rights or whatever to be considered at the moment.
“I’m not happy with the way things have gone, not at all. Ever since I won The Open it’s all been incredibly frustrating and I’m very annoyed.
“I don’t know how to explain it as I have been working incredibly hard, as ever.
“It’s just that’s nothing happening. All my bad shots are getting punished and I’m not getting an awful of out of my good ones.
“My game is just going the other way. It’s just so very, very frustrating.
“All I can do is keep my head down and keep working as hard as I can.”
