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Darren Clarke

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Darren Clarke

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Personal Information
Birth: 14 August, 1968,
Dungannon
Height:
Nationality: Northern Ireland Image:Flag of Northern Ireland (bordered).svg
Residence: Chobham
Career
College: Wake Forest University
Turned Professional: 1985
Current Tour: PGA Tour and European Tour
Professional wins: Ryder Cup 2006
Majors:
Awards:


Darren Christopher Clarke (born August 14, 1968) is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who plays on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. He was born in Dungannon, County Tyrone. He played collegiate golf at Wake Forest University in the United States.

Clarke has been featured in the top 10 in the Official World Golf Rankings. The most prestigious titles he has won are the 2000 WGC - World Match Play Championship when he defeated Tiger Woods in the final, and the 2003 WGC-NEC Invitational. His highest finish on the European Tour money list is second, which he achieved in 1998, 2000 and 2003. He has represented Northern Ireland in the World Cup and Alfred Dunhill Cup and played for Europe on five consecutive Ryder Cup teams 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2006.

Contents

[edit] Private life

Image:Darren clarke3.png

Clarke met his wife Heather in a nightclub in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The couple had two sons, Tyrone (born 1998) and Conor (born 2001), and the family lived at Sunningdale, Berkshire. In 2005 and 2006 he missed several tournaments to care for his wife, who was diagnosed with both primary and, later, secondary breast cancer.

Heather Clarke died at 2.15am on Sunday August 13, 2006 at 39 years of age, in the Royal Marsden Hospital, London (the day before her husband's 38th birthday).

Clarke's friend, Paul McGinley immediately announced his own withdrawal from the PGA Championship starting in Medinah, Illinois on Thursday. In a statement McGinley said, "Our two families are very much intertwined, obviously me and Darren, but Heather and (McGinley's wife) Ali were the best of friends and our kids are in the same class at school. So it is a tough time for us all" <ref>"Clarke left to mourn wife's death", BBC News, 2006-08-13.</ref> Clarke later made himself available for selection for the 2006 Ryder Cup. European captain Ian Woosnam chose him as one of his two wild cards and he contributed 3 points from 3 matches to Europe's victory.

Clarke is a keen cigar smoker, on and off the golf course, and has been reported to spend an estimated £25,000 per year on cigars.

[edit] European Tour wins

Image:Darren clarke10.png

[edit] Other professional wins

  • 1992 Ulster Professional Championship
  • 1994 Irish National PGA Championship
  • 2001 Dimension Data Pro-Am, Chunichi Crowns (Japan Golf Tour)
  • 2003 Benmore Developments Northern Ireland Masters (Challenge Tour)
  • 2004 Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters (Japan Golf Tour)
  • 2005 Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters (Japan Golf Tour)

[edit] Professional team appearances

[edit] Amateur wins

  • 1990 Spanish Amateur Open Championship, Irish Amateur Championship

[edit] Results in major championships

Tournament 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Masters Tournament DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T8 CUT
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP CUT DNP CUT T43 T43 T10
British Open T64 CUT T39 T38 T31 T11 T2 CUT T30
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT DNP CUT
Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Masters Tournament T40 24 T20 T28 CUT T17 T22
U.S. Open T53 T30 T24 T42 CUT DNP 56
British Open T7 T3 T37 T59 T11 T15 CUT
PGA Championship T9 CUT CUT CUT T13 CUT DNP

DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.

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[edit] References

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[edit] See also

[edit] External links

fr:Darren Clarke ja:ダレン・クラーク no:Darren Clarke sv:Darren Clarke

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