Darren Clarke’s decision to seek an invitation to contest next week’s Johnnie Walker Championship is not about looking to win for a first time since savouring success in last year’s Open Championship.
Clarke is returning to Gleneagles for a first time in four years after being snubbed by then European Team captain, Nick Faldo as a Valhalla ‘wildcard’ pick, and four years also after criticising the greens at the Jack Nicklaus designed course.
Darren Clarke teeing up at Gleneagles but looking ahead to the 2014 Eurpean Ryder Cup captaincy. (Photo - Phil Inglis/www.golffile.ie)
The recently turned 42-year old Clarke will tee-up at Gleneagles with one thought in mind – the 2014 European Ryder Cup captaincy.
Darren Clarke looks now to go head-to-head with fellow Irishman Paul McGinley for the 2014 Ryder Cup captaincy.
Clarke will take that first step to replacing Jose Maria Olazabal tomorrow (Thursday) when the Northern Irishman is named as one of Olazabal’s four Medinah vice-captains.
“I wasn’t initially playing Gleneagles but they’ve made changes to Gleneagles so I’m playing the Johnnie Walker, Switzerland and Holland,” said Clarke.
“I believe the Gleneagles changes are good so that’s why I am going to play.”
Indeed, the Centenary course has recently undergone extensive reworking on a number of holes including the ninth, 10th and in particular the 18th where some 35,000 tonnes of soil has been removed from the fairway to reduce the incline from seven metres to just two metres while there’s a completely new green and bunkering.
McGinley remains a short-priced favourite to replace Olazabal on the back of his impressive steering of the GB & I team to consecutive victories in the Vivendi Seve Trophy, along with his respected stature in the Tournament Players committee room where a new Ryder Cup is voted.
Clarke, who turned 44 last Tuesday and is two years younger than McGinley, had been offered the GB & I captaincy this time last year but then qualified the team on the back of his British Open success.
In Clarke’s favour is the fact he’s a Major Champion, a veteran of five Ryder Cups, including the 1997, 2002, 2004 and 2006 winning sides, and was a member of Monty’s 2010 back room team.
McGinley is staking his claim on the back of being a member of three winning Ryder Cups from 2002 to 2006, a double winning GB & I Vivendi Seve Trophy captain, a 2010 Ryder Cup vice-captain like Clarke along with being a valuable component of the Players Committee and being a born leader.
Clarke, who turned 42 earlier this week, said: “Jose Maria has said nothing to me at all.
“Of course, if I was asked I would love to go to Medinah I would do anything that I could to help Europe retain the Ryder Cup.”
The smart money is on Olazabal also naming McGinley, Thomas Bjorn and Miguel Angel Jimenez as his other vice-captains.
And while Clarke should be headed to Chicago fellow Open Champion, Padraig Harrington seems clearly to be left in the departure lounge.
“If Padraig wasn’t to make the team it does reflect how strong the European Tour is,” said Clarke.
“There is so many fantastic players competing in Europe now and you can’t afford to have an off week like Padraig has been having.
“I’ve had my off weeks and you can’t afford them. You have to be in the Majors and the WGCs and Padraig realises that.
“But I would not right him off from winning the Barclays, and besides Padraig is playing nicely so we will see.”
