Darren Clarke
Encyclopedia
Darren Christopher Clarke (born 14 August 1968) is a professional golfer
from Northern Ireland
who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour
. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour
, the Sunshine Tour
and the Japan Golf Tour
. His most notable win came at Royal St George's where he won the 2011 Open Championship, his first major
win after more than 20 years and 54 attempts. Clarke has also won two World Golf Championship events, most notably the 2000 WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship
where he squared off with, and defeated, Tiger Woods
. These victories came when Clarke enjoyed his most prominent spell as a golfer – he was ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings
for 43 weeks between 2000 and 2002. His highest finish on the European Tour money list is second, which he achieved in 1998, 2000 and 2003. Clarke is currently ranked as the sixth highest career money winner on the European Tour.
Clarke has represented Ireland as both an amateur and as a professional, notably at the World Cup and Alfred Dunhill Cup
, and was a member of five consecutive European Ryder Cup
teams between 1997 to 2006.
Clarke's victory at the 2011 Open Championship meant he became the third major winner from Northern Ireland in 13 months, following Graeme McDowell
and Rory McIlroy
's 2010 and 2011 victories in the U.S. Open
, prompting McIlroy to quip that Northern Ireland was the 'Golf Capital of the World'.
, County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland, and in 1987 he played collegiate golf at Wake Forest University
in the United States. He was a junior member of Dungannon Golf Club, whose junior section also included three others who are current PGA Golf Professionals: Alistair Cardwell, Barry Hamill and Gary Chambers. Clarke represented his school, Royal School Dungannon, together with Cardwell and Chambers.
, making the cut before finishing in a tie for 64th place. In 1992 Clarke had a solid season on the European Tour, finishing 41st in overall Order of Merit, in doing so achieveing his highest finish of his career at the time with a second place finish at the Honda Open. He finished three strokes behind champion Bernhard Langer
.
and the charging Vijay Singh
, who shot a final round 64, to prevail by two strokes. A month later Clarke very nearly won his second title at the European Tour's season ending Volvo Masters
, however he was pipped to the title by Colin Montgomerie
who finished one stroke clear. Overall for the season Clarke made 24 out of 30 cuts and finished in the top-10 on seven occasions.
although he missed the cut and had his highest finish, at the time, in The Open Championship
with a tie for 38th place. In 1995 Clarke had better success, with seven top-10s in 27 events, most notably at the Portuguese Open
where he finished second after losing a sudden death playoff to Adam Hunter
on the first extra hole, despite having the joint 54 hole lead. Clarke ended the year 14th on the Order of Merit.
in 1996. He also equaled his best finish on the Order of Merit, placing in 8th for the season. In 1997, Clarke finished second at the European Tour's flagship event, the Volvo PGA Championship, two strokes behind Ian Woosnam
having initially held the joint lead after round one. Then in July 1997, Clarke was in position to win his first major championship at the 1997 Open Championship
. Clarke held the lead with American Jim Furyk
after the first round and then pulled two strokes clear of the field after a 66 in the second round, but a third round 71 put him two strokes behind leader Jesper Parnevik
going into the final day. However the winner was not to come from the final pairing, as Justin Leonard
came storming through the pack with a 65 to beat both Clarke and Parnevik by three strokes. Clarke ended the season 4th on the Order of Merit.
, but his first visit to Augusta National was much more successful, shooting 67–69 on the weekend to finish in a tie for 8th at the Masters Tournament. This remains his highest ever finish at the Masters to date. In May 1998, Clarke won his third career event on the European Tour at the Benson & Hedges International Open
by three strokes from Santiago Luna
. He then had three more second place finishes during the season before winning the season ending Volvo Masters
, his fourth career victory, taking Clarke to 2nd place on the final Order of Merit standings behind Colin Montgomerie
. Clarke only missed one cut all year, at the Murphy's Irish Open. In 1999, Clarke captured his fifth European Tour win at the Compass Group English Open, finished two strokes ahead of John Bickerton
. He also achieved his highest ever placing at the U.S Open in this year when he finished in a tie for 10th.
in the final 4&3 at the 2000 WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship
at La Costa Resort and Spa. This was Clarke's biggest victory of his career so far as he netted the $1 million first prize. Clarke had a difficult route through the championship but defeated a host of big name players: Paul Azinger
, Mark O'Meara
, Thomas Bjørn
, Hal Sutton
and David Duval
before taking on Woods in the final. Clarke's fine year continued when he placed tied second in the Volvo PGA Championship and followed it up the week after with his seventh European Tour win at the Compass Group English Open ahead of Michael Campbell
and Mark James
. Clarke also recorded his best finish at the PGA Championship
with a tie for 9th place. He also had three second place finishes in the 2000 season, which included 11 top-10 finishes, 2nd for the second time in his career on the Order of Merit and it was his highest ever season in terms of prize money. Clarke earned over €2.7 million for the year.
finishing in a tie for third, four strokes behind the eventual winner David Duval
. He then had another notable third place finish at the WGC-NEC Invitational, earning in excess of €400,000. In 2002, Clarke played on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour
. In the build up to the Masters, Clarke played the Shell Houston Open
and finished second behind runaway winner Vijay Singh
. He then played the summer on the European Tour and won his ninth career title at the Compass Group English Open, this was his third win at this event and became the first man to win the tournament three times. In 2003, Clarke had another good run at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, however his run was halted at the quarter final stage this time when he lost 2up to Peter Lonard
. He did not have to wait much longer for more WGC success though, when he won his second WGC event at the WGC-NEC Invitational at Firestone Country Club
in Akron, Ohio
. He finished four strokes ahead of Jonathan Kaye
. This put Clarke as only the second player to have won more than one WGC event, the other was Tiger Woods
. Clarke's run of success throughout 2001–2003 saw him miss only three cuts on the European Tour in three years and place for the third time in his career at 2nd on the European Order of Merit.
in the semi final on the 21st hole, but beat Stephen Leaney
2-up in the resulting 3rd place playoff match. He also had a good finish at the WGC-American Express Championship, finishing in a tie for 4th place. Despite winning over $2 million in prize money Clarke did not win an event during the 2004 season on either tour and this was the first time this had happened since 1997, seven years ago.
's two wild card picks and he earned three points on the way to victory for Europe. The 2007 season was Clarke's worst of his career and was unsurprising considering the personal trauma Clarke had gone through the previous year. He did not record one single top-10, withdrew from a number of events in the year and finished 143rd on the Order of Merit list.
in an emotional victory after a birdie on the 72nd hole to see off Robert-Jan Derksen
by one stroke. This was Clarke's first win in almost five years and his 11th of his career. The win broke the shackles from the slump in form he gone through in the previous years and his 12th victory was not far around the corner. Clarke won again in the Netherlands
at the KLM Open
finishing the tournament four ahead of another Irishman Paul McGinley
. Clarke ended his comeback year 13th in the Order of Merit Standings, however he missed out on a place in Nick Faldo
's Ryder Cup team, the first time Clarke had done so in over 10 years.
title in Holland. Clarke finished 61st in the Race to Dubai Standings and missed out a place in the season ending finale narrowly by finishing outside the top 60. In 2010, however he did make into the Dubai Finals after finishing 30th at the end of the year. He was aided by two second place finishes throughout the season at the Joburg Open
behind winner Charl Schwartzel
and then at the Barclays Scottish Open ending up three strokes behind Edoardo Molinari
.
and David Lynn in the Iberdrola Open. After finishing tied for third in the 2001 Open Championship
, Clarke did not make the Top 10 of any major
, until he won his first major championship at the 2011 Open
at the age of 42 – his 20th attempt at winning the Claret Jug
.
Clarke dedicated his victory to his two children and late wife Heather, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2006: "In terms of what's going through my heart, there's obviously somebody who is watching from up above there, and I know she'd be very proud of me. But I think she'd be more proud of my two boys and them at home watching more than anything else. It's been a long journey to get here".
With Clarke's triumph at Royal St George's, it was the first time since 1910 where one country (other than the United States) had different golfers win consecutive majors. Rory McIlroy
, also of Northern Ireland
, captured the 2011 U.S. Open
title one month earlier in Bethesda, Maryland
. In his first major championship since winning the Open Championship, Clarke carded +14 (78,76) to miss the cut at the 2011 PGA Championship
.
. He was a member of five consecutive European Ryder Cup
teams in 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2006, winning on four occasions and was also appointed a non-playing vice captain by Colin Montgomerie
in 2010.
Clarke's most notable appearance at the Ryder Cup was in 2006
, six weeks after the death of his wife Heather. Heather had loved the Ryder Cup and encouraged Darren to compete in it, so he made himself available for selection. European captain Ian Woosnam
chose Clarke as one of his two wild cards, and he contributed three points from three matches to Europe's victory, and was embraced by members of the European and U.S. teams after he finished the tournament.
, County Antrim
, and they married in March 1996. The couple had two sons, Tyrone (born 1998) and Conor (born 2001), and the family lived at Sunningdale
, Berkshire, UK. In 2005 and 2006 he missed several tournaments to care for his wife, who had been diagnosed with both primary breast cancer in December 2001, then, in 2004, with secondary breast cancer. Heather Clarke died on Sunday 13 August 2006 at 39 years of age, in the Royal Marsden Hospital, London.
Clarke's friend Paul McGinley
immediately announced his own withdrawal from the PGA Championship starting in Medinah, Illinois
. 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".
Following Clarke's performance at the 2006 Ryder Cup, six weeks after his wife had died, he was the favourite to win the 2006 BBC Sports Personality of the Year
award, but was runner-up to Zara Phillips
. He had previously stated he did not want to win with a sympathy vote after his wife's death.
Clarke and his sons moved back to Northern Ireland, making their home in Portrush
. In December 2010 Clarke and former Miss Northern Ireland
Alison Campbell announced their engagement.
On 6 April 2011, Clarke was photographed by Kevin Abosch
for The Face of Ireland project.
Clarke is a supporter of Liverpool FC.
European Tour playoff record (0–1)
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.
1Cancelled due to terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001
DNP = Did not play
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
WD = Withdrew
NT = No tournament
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
from Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, the Sunshine Tour
Sunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
and the Japan Golf Tour
Japan Golf Tour
The Japan Golf Tour is a prominent golf tour. It was founded in 1973 and as of 2006 it offers the third highest annual prize fund out of the regular men's professional tours after the PGA Tour and the European Tour. However since the early 1990s, the growth in prize money has not kept pace with...
. His most notable win came at Royal St George's where he won the 2011 Open Championship, his first major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
win after more than 20 years and 54 attempts. Clarke has also won two World Golf Championship events, most notably the 2000 WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship
2000 WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship
-Ben Hogan bracket:-Gary Player bracket:-Sam Snead bracket:-Final Four:-Prize money breakdown :-External links:*...
where he squared off with, and defeated, Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
. These victories came when Clarke enjoyed his most prominent spell as a golfer – he was ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
for 43 weeks between 2000 and 2002. His highest finish on the European Tour money list is second, which he achieved in 1998, 2000 and 2003. Clarke is currently ranked as the sixth highest career money winner on the European Tour.
Clarke has represented Ireland as both an amateur and as a professional, notably at the World Cup and Alfred Dunhill Cup
Alfred Dunhill Cup
The Alfred Dunhill Cup was a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000. It was for three man teams of professional golfers, one team representing each country, and was promoted as the "World Team Championship". It was a "special approved event" on the European Tour, which means that it was...
, and was a member of five consecutive European Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
teams between 1997 to 2006.
Clarke's victory at the 2011 Open Championship meant he became the third major winner from Northern Ireland in 13 months, following Graeme McDowell
Graeme McDowell
Graeme McDowell MBE is a Northern Irish professional golfer.McDowell has won seven events on the European Tour, including the 2010 U.S. Open which was also his first win on the PGA Tour...
and Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy is a Northern Irish professional golfer from Holywood in County Down. He has represented Europe, Great Britain & Ireland, and Ireland as both an amateur and a professional. He had a successful amateur career, topping the World Amateur Golf Ranking for one week as a 17-year-old in 2007...
's 2010 and 2011 victories in the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
, prompting McIlroy to quip that Northern Ireland was the 'Golf Capital of the World'.
Amateur career
Clarke was born in DungannonDungannon
Dungannon is a medium-sized town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the third-largest town in the county and a population of 11,139 people was recorded in the 2001 Census. In August 2006, Dungannon won Ulster In Bloom's Best Kept Town Award for the fifth time...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Northern Ireland, and in 1987 he played collegiate golf at Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
in the United States. He was a junior member of Dungannon Golf Club, whose junior section also included three others who are current PGA Golf Professionals: Alistair Cardwell, Barry Hamill and Gary Chambers. Clarke represented his school, Royal School Dungannon, together with Cardwell and Chambers.
1990–92: Early career
Clarke turned professional in 1990 and played his first full season on the European Tour in 1991. He contested in his first major championship at the 1991 Open Championship1991 Open Championship
The 1991 Open Championship was the 120nd Open Championship held from 18-21 July at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. Ian Baker-Finch won his first major championship by two strokes over Mike Harwood.-First round:-Second round:...
, making the cut before finishing in a tie for 64th place. In 1992 Clarke had a solid season on the European Tour, finishing 41st in overall Order of Merit, in doing so achieveing his highest finish of his career at the time with a second place finish at the Honda Open. He finished three strokes behind champion Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986...
.
1993: Breakthrough year and first European Tour win
Clarke's real breakthrough year was in 1993 when he won his maiden European Tour event and played his way to 8th position on the Order of Merit. After a relatively solid but unspectacular first half of the season, Clarke came alive during the August–September stretch achieving four top-10 finishes in four consecutive tournaments. More was to come when in October 1993, he won his maiden European Tour event at the Alfred Dunhill Open in Belgium. Clarke had the lead after 54 holes and held off the challenge of Englishman Nick FaldoNick Faldo
Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE is an English professional golfer on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors: three Open Championships and three Masters. He was ranked the World No...
and the charging Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008...
, who shot a final round 64, to prevail by two strokes. A month later Clarke very nearly won his second title at the European Tour's season ending Volvo Masters
Volvo Masters
The Volvo Masters was the concluding official money event of the European Tour season until 2009, when it was replaced by the Dubai World Championship...
, however he was pipped to the title by Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31...
who finished one stroke clear. Overall for the season Clarke made 24 out of 30 cuts and finished in the top-10 on seven occasions.
1994–95: Steady progress
The follow up year in 1994 for Clarke was another solid season on the tour, making 17 of 21 cuts and finishing 37th on the Order of Merit list. Clarke also played in his first U.S. OpenU.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
although he missed the cut and had his highest finish, at the time, in The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
with a tie for 38th place. In 1995 Clarke had better success, with seven top-10s in 27 events, most notably at the Portuguese Open
Portuguese Open
The Portuguese Open, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Estoril Open de Portugal, is an annual tournament on men's golf's European Tour. It has been played since 1953, with a few skipped years, and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since 1973...
where he finished second after losing a sudden death playoff to Adam Hunter
Adam Hunter (golfer)
Adam Hunter was a Scottish professional golfer. His achievements included winning the 1995 Portuguese Open. He later became a renowned coach for such golfers as Paul Lawrie.-Career:...
on the first extra hole, despite having the joint 54 hole lead. Clarke ended the year 14th on the Order of Merit.
1996–1997: Second European Tour title and near miss at 1997 Open Championship
In 1996, Clarke won his second European Tour title at the Linde German Masters by one stroke, shooting a final round 63 to finish 24 under par and ahead of Englishman Mike Davis. Clarke also recorded his best finish in a major, at that current time, with a tie for 11th place at The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
in 1996. He also equaled his best finish on the Order of Merit, placing in 8th for the season. In 1997, Clarke finished second at the European Tour's flagship event, the Volvo PGA Championship, two strokes behind Ian Woosnam
Ian Woosnam
Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup...
having initially held the joint lead after round one. Then in July 1997, Clarke was in position to win his first major championship at the 1997 Open Championship
1997 Open Championship
The 1997 Open Championship was the 126th Open Championship held from 17-20 July at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland. Justin Leonard won his first major championship by three strokes over Jesper Parnevik and Darren Clarke.-First round:...
. Clarke held the lead with American Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk
James Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing...
after the first round and then pulled two strokes clear of the field after a 66 in the second round, but a third round 71 put him two strokes behind leader Jesper Parnevik
Jesper Parnevik
Jesper Bo Parnevik is a Swedish professional golfer. He spent 38 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings in 2000 and 2001.-Early years:...
going into the final day. However the winner was not to come from the final pairing, as Justin Leonard
Justin Leonard
Justin Charles Garrett Leonard is an American professional golfer.Leonard was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He attended Lake Highlands High School and graduated in 1990. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and was the individual NCAA champion in 1994. He was a two-time All-American...
came storming through the pack with a 65 to beat both Clarke and Parnevik by three strokes. Clarke ended the season 4th on the Order of Merit.
1998–99: Three more victories on the European Tour
In 1998, Clarke made his first appearances at two of the biggest golf events worldwide. He missed the cut at the first attempt at The Players ChampionshipThe Players Championship
The Players Championship is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour.Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the inaugural event in 1974 was played at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia before moving to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975 and Inverrary...
, but his first visit to Augusta National was much more successful, shooting 67–69 on the weekend to finish in a tie for 8th at the Masters Tournament. This remains his highest ever finish at the Masters to date. In May 1998, Clarke won his third career event on the European Tour at the Benson & Hedges International Open
Benson & Hedges International Open
The Benson & Hedges International Open was a men's professional golf tournament which was played in England. It was founded in 1971 and for its first five years it was called the Benson & Hedges Festival of Golf. It was sponsored by Benson & Hedges, a cigarette company...
by three strokes from Santiago Luna
Santiago Luna
Santiago Luna Torres is a Spanish professional golfer.Luna's father was on the staff at Puerta de Hierro Golf Club in Madrid. He turned professional in 1982 and has spent over twenty years on the European Tour, playing in over five hundred tournaments. He ranked in the top one hundred on the Order...
. He then had three more second place finishes during the season before winning the season ending Volvo Masters
Volvo Masters
The Volvo Masters was the concluding official money event of the European Tour season until 2009, when it was replaced by the Dubai World Championship...
, his fourth career victory, taking Clarke to 2nd place on the final Order of Merit standings behind Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31...
. Clarke only missed one cut all year, at the Murphy's Irish Open. In 1999, Clarke captured his fifth European Tour win at the Compass Group English Open, finished two strokes ahead of John Bickerton
John Bickerton
John Edward Bickerton is an English golfer.Bickerton was born in Redditch, England. He turned professional in 1991....
. He also achieved his highest ever placing at the U.S Open in this year when he finished in a tie for 10th.
2000: WGC-Matchplay Championship win and further success
Clarke's worldwide breakthrough came in 2000 when he won his first World Golf Championship event defeating Tiger WoodsTiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
in the final 4&3 at the 2000 WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship
2000 WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship
-Ben Hogan bracket:-Gary Player bracket:-Sam Snead bracket:-Final Four:-Prize money breakdown :-External links:*...
at La Costa Resort and Spa. This was Clarke's biggest victory of his career so far as he netted the $1 million first prize. Clarke had a difficult route through the championship but defeated a host of big name players: Paul Azinger
Paul Azinger
Paul William Azinger is an American professional golfer and occasional on air golf analyst. He spent almost 300 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1988 and 1994.-Early years:...
, Mark O'Meara
Mark O'Meara
Mark Francis O'Meara is an American professional golfer who was a prolific tournament winner on the PGA Tour and around the world from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s...
, Thomas Bjørn
Thomas Bjørn
Thomas Bjørn is a professional golfer from Denmark who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won thirteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1999 he also became the first Dane to qualify for a European Ryder Cup team...
, Hal Sutton
Hal Sutton
Hal Evan Sutton is an American professional golfer.Sutton was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. A promising golfer at the Centenary College of Louisiana, he was named Golf Magazines 1980 College Player of the Year...
and David Duval
David Duval
David Robert Duval is an American professional golfer and former World No. 1 who competes on the PGA Tour.-Early years:...
before taking on Woods in the final. Clarke's fine year continued when he placed tied second in the Volvo PGA Championship and followed it up the week after with his seventh European Tour win at the Compass Group English Open ahead of Michael Campbell
Michael Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, CNZM is a New Zealand golfer who is best known for having won the 2005 U.S. Open and the richest prize in golf, the £1,000,000 HSBC World Match Play Championship, in the same year. He is a member of the European Tour.Ethnically, he is predominantly Māori, from the Ngati...
and Mark James
Mark James
Mark Hugh James is an English professional golfer who had a long career on the European Tour and captained Europe in the 1999 Ryder Cup. He now plays senior golf on the U.S.-based Champions Tour....
. Clarke also recorded his best finish at the PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
with a tie for 9th place. He also had three second place finishes in the 2000 season, which included 11 top-10 finishes, 2nd for the second time in his career on the Order of Merit and it was his highest ever season in terms of prize money. Clarke earned over €2.7 million for the year.
2001–03: Continued success and second WGC win
The 2001 season saw Clarke finish one place lower on the Order of Merit at 3rd, although he did manage some notable results on tour during this season. Clarke added to his list of European Tour wins at the Smurfit European Open when he won by three strokes at The K Club. A couple weeks later, Clarke produced another fine performance at The Open ChampionshipThe Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
finishing in a tie for third, four strokes behind the eventual winner David Duval
David Duval
David Robert Duval is an American professional golfer and former World No. 1 who competes on the PGA Tour.-Early years:...
. He then had another notable third place finish at the WGC-NEC Invitational, earning in excess of €400,000. In 2002, Clarke played on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
. In the build up to the Masters, Clarke played the Shell Houston Open
Shell Houston Open
The Shell Houston Open is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is currently played in April at Redstone Golf Club in the Houston suburb of Humble, Texas. Shell and the Houston Golf Association are the main sponsors of the tournament...
and finished second behind runaway winner Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008...
. He then played the summer on the European Tour and won his ninth career title at the Compass Group English Open, this was his third win at this event and became the first man to win the tournament three times. In 2003, Clarke had another good run at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, however his run was halted at the quarter final stage this time when he lost 2up to Peter Lonard
Peter Lonard
Peter Lawrence Lonard is an Australian professional golfer who plays mainly on the U.S. based PGA Tour. He credits fellow Australian Greg Norman as his inspiration....
. He did not have to wait much longer for more WGC success though, when he won his second WGC event at the WGC-NEC Invitational at Firestone Country Club
Firestone Country Club
The Firestone Country Club is a private golf club located in Akron, Ohio, United States.The Club comprises three courses—those of the North, South, and West—each of which hosted a televised golf event, respectively the American Golf Classic, the CBS Golf Classic and the World Series of Golf, in...
in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. He finished four strokes ahead of Jonathan Kaye
Jonathan Kaye
Jonathan Andrew Kaye is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Biography:Kaye was born in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 1993 and turned pro that same year...
. This put Clarke as only the second player to have won more than one WGC event, the other was Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
. Clarke's run of success throughout 2001–2003 saw him miss only three cuts on the European Tour in three years and place for the third time in his career at 2nd on the European Order of Merit.
2004: First winless season in seven years
Clarke continued his run of good form at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in 2004, when he finished third. He lost to Davis Love IIIDavis Love III
Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...
in the semi final on the 21st hole, but beat Stephen Leaney
Stephen Leaney
Stephen John Leaney is an Australian professional golfer.Leaney was born in Busselton, Western Australia. He turned professional in 1992 and won several tournaments in his home country in the 1990s, despite having two ribs cut removed in December 1993 after doctors diagnosed a blood clot in his...
2-up in the resulting 3rd place playoff match. He also had a good finish at the WGC-American Express Championship, finishing in a tie for 4th place. Despite winning over $2 million in prize money Clarke did not win an event during the 2004 season on either tour and this was the first time this had happened since 1997, seven years ago.
2005–2007: Loss of form and slump
Clarke played the 2005 season half and half between the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He enjoyed a solid season with lots of top ten finishes but could not climb the final hurdle of winning an event on either. The highlights of his year were two second place finishes at the Barclays Scottish Open in Europe and the MCI Heritage in the States. With Clarke playing less and less on the European Tour he only finished 20th on the Order of Merit compared to his previous success in this category. In 2006, Clarke's form slumped even more, mostly due to his wife's illness. He only managed to record four top-10s all season and finished the year way down in 43rd on the Order of Merit. However he did make a significant contribution to the European Ryder Cup win in 2006 after the unfortunate death of his wife, Heather. Clarke was one of Ian WoosnamIan Woosnam
Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup...
's two wild card picks and he earned three points on the way to victory for Europe. The 2007 season was Clarke's worst of his career and was unsurprising considering the personal trauma Clarke had gone through the previous year. He did not record one single top-10, withdrew from a number of events in the year and finished 143rd on the Order of Merit list.
2008: Return to form
Clarke ended his winless streak in April 2008 when he won the BMW Asian OpenBMW Asian Open
The BMW Asian Open was a men's professional golf tournament that was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour. The event was founded in 2001, as part of the European Tour's drive to expand into Asia, and China in particular....
in an emotional victory after a birdie on the 72nd hole to see off Robert-Jan Derksen
Robert-Jan Derksen
Robert-Jan Derksen is a Dutch professional golfer.Derksen was born in Nijmegen. He won the Dutch Amateur Championship four years in a row from 1993 to 1996 and turned professional in 1996....
by one stroke. This was Clarke's first win in almost five years and his 11th of his career. The win broke the shackles from the slump in form he gone through in the previous years and his 12th victory was not far around the corner. Clarke won again in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
at the KLM Open
KLM Open
The KLM Open is an annual golf tournament played in The Netherlands, and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the Tour was inaugurated in 1972. Founded in 1912, the tournament was originally known as the Dutch Open, before a variety of sponsors resulted in numerous name changes over...
finishing the tournament four ahead of another Irishman Paul McGinley
Paul McGinley
Paul McGinley is an Irish golfer who plays on the European Tour. He is most famous for holing the winning putt for the European team in the 2002 Ryder Cup. He currently resides in Sunningdale, England....
. Clarke ended his comeback year 13th in the Order of Merit Standings, however he missed out on a place in Nick Faldo
Nick Faldo
Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE is an English professional golfer on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors: three Open Championships and three Masters. He was ranked the World No...
's Ryder Cup team, the first time Clarke had done so in over 10 years.
2009–10: Consistent play
The 2009 and 2010 seasons were steady in progress for Clarke as he began to rebuild his form following the successful 2008 season. He only managed to record three top-10 finishes during the whole of 2009, most notably tying for 5th in the defence of his KLM OpenKLM Open
The KLM Open is an annual golf tournament played in The Netherlands, and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the Tour was inaugurated in 1972. Founded in 1912, the tournament was originally known as the Dutch Open, before a variety of sponsors resulted in numerous name changes over...
title in Holland. Clarke finished 61st in the Race to Dubai Standings and missed out a place in the season ending finale narrowly by finishing outside the top 60. In 2010, however he did make into the Dubai Finals after finishing 30th at the end of the year. He was aided by two second place finishes throughout the season at the Joburg Open
Joburg Open
The Joburg Open is a men's professional golf tournament on the Southern Africa based Sunshine Tour. The event was founded in 2007, and is played in January at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club in Johannesburg, South Africa....
behind winner Charl Schwartzel
Charl Schwartzel
Charl Adriaan Schwartzel is a South African professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, European Tour, and the Sunshine Tour. He won the 2011 Masters Tournament. Schwartzel's highest world ranking has been number seven, in May 2011....
and then at the Barclays Scottish Open ending up three strokes behind Edoardo Molinari
Edoardo Molinari
Edoardo Molinari is an Italian professional golfer. He is a two-time winner on the European Tour, 2005 U.S. Amateur champion, 2009 Challenge Tour Rankings leader, winner, with his brother Francesco, of the 2009 World Cup and a member of the 2010 European Ryder Cup team...
.
2011: Open Championship victory
In 2011, Clarke won his first European Tour title since August 2008 with a three-stroke victory over Chris WoodChris Wood (golfer)
Christopher James Wood is an English professional golfer who currently plays on the European Tour. He was the low amateur in the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and tied for third in the following year's tournament held at Turnberry.-Amateur career:Wood was born in Bristol, England...
and David Lynn in the Iberdrola Open. After finishing tied for third in the 2001 Open Championship
2001 Open Championship
The 2001 Open Championship was the 130th Open Championship held from 19-22 July at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, England...
, Clarke did not make the Top 10 of any major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
, until he won his first major championship at the 2011 Open
2011 Open Championship
The 2011 Open Championship was the 140th Open Championship, played from July 14–17 at Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent, England. Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland won the event by three strokes for his first major championship victory.-Venue:...
at the age of 42 – his 20th attempt at winning the Claret Jug
Claret Jug
The Golf Champion Trophy, commonly known as the Claret Jug, is the trophy presented to the winner of The Open Championship, , one of the four major championships in golf....
.
Clarke dedicated his victory to his two children and late wife Heather, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2006: "In terms of what's going through my heart, there's obviously somebody who is watching from up above there, and I know she'd be very proud of me. But I think she'd be more proud of my two boys and them at home watching more than anything else. It's been a long journey to get here".
With Clarke's triumph at Royal St George's, it was the first time since 1910 where one country (other than the United States) had different golfers win consecutive majors. Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy is a Northern Irish professional golfer from Holywood in County Down. He has represented Europe, Great Britain & Ireland, and Ireland as both an amateur and a professional. He had a successful amateur career, topping the World Amateur Golf Ranking for one week as a 17-year-old in 2007...
, also of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, captured the 2011 U.S. Open
2011 U.S. Open (golf)
The 2011 United States Open Championship, the 111th U.S. Open, was played June 16–19 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. It was won by Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who set 11 U.S. Open records on the weekend, including the lowest total 72-hole score and the lowest total under...
title one month earlier in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
. In his first major championship since winning the Open Championship, Clarke carded +14 (78,76) to miss the cut at the 2011 PGA Championship
2011 PGA Championship
The 2011 PGA Championship was the 93rd PGA Championship. Keegan Bradley won his first major championship, in a three-hole playoff over Jason Dufner. The tournament began on Thursday, August 11, 2011 and concluded on Sunday, August 14...
.
Ryder Cup and other team golf
Clarke has represented Ireland as both an amateur and as a professional, most notably at the World Cup and Alfred Dunhill CupAlfred Dunhill Cup
The Alfred Dunhill Cup was a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000. It was for three man teams of professional golfers, one team representing each country, and was promoted as the "World Team Championship". It was a "special approved event" on the European Tour, which means that it was...
. He was a member of five consecutive European Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
teams in 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2006, winning on four occasions and was also appointed a non-playing vice captain by Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31...
in 2010.
Clarke's most notable appearance at the Ryder Cup was in 2006
2006 Ryder Cup
The 36th Ryder Cup Matches were held 22–24 September 2006 at the K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Team Europe won the competition by a score of 18½ to 9½ points, equalling their record winning margin of 2 years earlier. This was the first time Europe had achieved three successive victories...
, six weeks after the death of his wife Heather. Heather had loved the Ryder Cup and encouraged Darren to compete in it, so he made himself available for selection. European captain Ian Woosnam
Ian Woosnam
Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup...
chose Clarke as one of his two wild cards, and he contributed three points from three matches to Europe's victory, and was embraced by members of the European and U.S. teams after he finished the tournament.
Personal life
Clarke met his wife Heather in a nightclub in PortrushPortrush
Portrush is a small seaside resort town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the County Londonderry border. The main part of the old town, including the railway station as well as most hotels, restaurants and bars, is built on a mile–long peninsula, Ramore Head, pointing north-northwest....
, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, and they married in March 1996. The couple had two sons, Tyrone (born 1998) and Conor (born 2001), and the family lived at Sunningdale
Sunningdale
Sunningdale is a large village and civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England.-Location:Sunningdale is located close to the present border with Surrey, and is not far from Ascot, Sunninghill and Virginia Water. It is situated 24 miles west of London and 7...
, Berkshire, UK. In 2005 and 2006 he missed several tournaments to care for his wife, who had been diagnosed with both primary breast cancer in December 2001, then, in 2004, with secondary breast cancer. Heather Clarke died on Sunday 13 August 2006 at 39 years of age, in the Royal Marsden Hospital, London.
Clarke's friend Paul McGinley
Paul McGinley
Paul McGinley is an Irish golfer who plays on the European Tour. He is most famous for holing the winning putt for the European team in the 2002 Ryder Cup. He currently resides in Sunningdale, England....
immediately announced his own withdrawal from the PGA Championship starting in Medinah, Illinois
Medinah, Illinois
Medinah is an unincorporated community in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois and is a suburb of Chicago. Medinah, largely located in DuPage County, is situated between the villages of Roselle, Itasca, Bloomingdale, and Addison...
. 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".
Following Clarke's performance at the 2006 Ryder Cup, six weeks after his wife had died, he was the favourite to win the 2006 BBC Sports Personality of the Year
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of one titular award. Several new awards have been introduced, and , eight awards are presented. The oldest of these are the Team of the Year and...
award, but was runner-up to Zara Phillips
Zara Phillips
Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips, MBE is the second child and only daughter of Princess Anne and her first husband Captain Mark Phillips and is 13th in the line of succession to the throne...
. He had previously stated he did not want to win with a sympathy vote after his wife's death.
Clarke and his sons moved back to Northern Ireland, making their home in Portrush
Portrush
Portrush is a small seaside resort town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the County Londonderry border. The main part of the old town, including the railway station as well as most hotels, restaurants and bars, is built on a mile–long peninsula, Ramore Head, pointing north-northwest....
. In December 2010 Clarke and former Miss Northern Ireland
Miss Northern Ireland
Miss Northern Ireland is a beauty pageant, the winner of which goes on to compete in the Miss World pageant.Before 1999, the winner of Miss Anton Northern Ireland would have to compete in the Miss United Kingdom competition and win it in order to be applicable to compete in the Miss World competition...
Alison Campbell announced their engagement.
On 6 April 2011, Clarke was photographed by Kevin Abosch
Kevin Abosch
Kevin Abosch is an Irish visual artist and portrait photographer of Hollywood celebrities including Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise. His work has been seen in international magazine features and covers, including Vogue. An article in the March 2008 issue of Vogue Italia reads "Abosch knows the true...
for The Face of Ireland project.
Clarke is a supporter of Liverpool FC.
Amateur wins (4)
- 1989 East of Ireland Championship
- 1990 Spanish Amateur Open Championship, Irish Amateur Championship, South of Ireland Championship
European Tour wins (14)
EWLINE
|
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 Oct 1993 | Alfred Dunhill Open | 2 strokes |  Nick FaldoNick Faldo Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE is an English professional golfer on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors: three Open Championships and three Masters. He was ranked the World No... ,  Vijay SinghVijay Singh Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008... |
|
| 2 | 6 Oct 1996 | Linde German Masters | 1 stroke | Mark Davis Mark Davis (golfer) Mark Davis is an English professional golfer.Davis was born in Brentwood, Essex. He won the Brabazon Trophy in 1984 and turned professional two years later.... |
|
| 3 | 17 May 1998 | Benson & Hedges International Open Benson & Hedges International Open The Benson & Hedges International Open was a men's professional golf tournament which was played in England. It was founded in 1971 and for its first five years it was called the Benson & Hedges Festival of Golf. It was sponsored by Benson & Hedges, a cigarette company... |
3 strokes |  Santiago LunaSantiago Luna Santiago Luna Torres is a Spanish professional golfer.Luna's father was on the staff at Puerta de Hierro Golf Club in Madrid. He turned professional in 1982 and has spent over twenty years on the European Tour, playing in over five hundred tournaments. He ranked in the top one hundred on the Order... |
|
| 4 | 1 Nov 1998 | Volvo Masters Volvo Masters The Volvo Masters was the concluding official money event of the European Tour season until 2009, when it was replaced by the Dubai World Championship... |
2 strokes |  Andrew ColtartAndrew Coltart Andrew John Coltart is a Scottish professional golfer.-Junior and amateur:Coltart was born in Dumfries. As an amateur, he won the 1987 Scottish Boys Championship and the 1991 Scottish Amateur Stroke Play Championship, and participated in the 1991 Walker Cup.-Professional:Coltart turned... |
|
| 5 | 6 Jun 1999 | Compass Group English Open | 2 strokes | John Bickerton John Bickerton John Edward Bickerton is an English golfer.Bickerton was born in Redditch, England. He turned professional in 1991.... |
|
| 6 | 27 Feb 2000 | Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship | 4 & 3 |  Tiger WoodsTiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
|
| 7 | 4 Jun 2000 | Compass Group English Open | 1 stroke |  Michael CampbellMichael Campbell Michael Shane Campbell, CNZM is a New Zealand golfer who is best known for having won the 2005 U.S. Open and the richest prize in golf, the £1,000,000 HSBC World Match Play Championship, in the same year. He is a member of the European Tour.Ethnically, he is predominantly Māori, from the Ngati... , Mark James |
|
| 8 | 8 Jul 2001 | Smurfit European Open | 3 strokes |  Thomas BjørnThomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn is a professional golfer from Denmark who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won thirteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1999 he also became the first Dane to qualify for a European Ryder Cup team... ,  Pádraig HarringtonPadraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... ,  Ian WoosnamIan Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
|
| 9 | 9 Jun 2002 | Compass Group English Open | 3 strokes | Søren Hansen Søren Hansen Søren Hansen is a Danish professional golfer.Hansen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He won the 1997 Danish Amateur Stroke Play Championship and turned professional later that year.... |
|
| 10 | 24 Aug 2003 | NEC Invitational | 4 strokes | Jonathan Kaye Jonathan Kaye Jonathan Andrew Kaye is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Biography:Kaye was born in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 1993 and turned pro that same year... |
|
| 11 | 27 Apr 2008 2008 European Tour The 2008 European Tour was the 37th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2008 season consisted of 50 official money events, a drop of two from the previous year. This included seven major championships and World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the PGA... |
BMW Asian Open BMW Asian Open The BMW Asian Open was a men's professional golf tournament that was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour. The event was founded in 2001, as part of the European Tour's drive to expand into Asia, and China in particular.... |
1 stroke |  Robert-Jan DerksenRobert-Jan Derksen Robert-Jan Derksen is a Dutch professional golfer.Derksen was born in Nijmegen. He won the Dutch Amateur Championship four years in a row from 1993 to 1996 and turned professional in 1996.... |
|
| 12 | 24 Aug 2008 2008 European Tour The 2008 European Tour was the 37th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2008 season consisted of 50 official money events, a drop of two from the previous year. This included seven major championships and World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the PGA... |
KLM Open KLM Open The KLM Open is an annual golf tournament played in The Netherlands, and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the Tour was inaugurated in 1972. Founded in 1912, the tournament was originally known as the Dutch Open, before a variety of sponsors resulted in numerous name changes over... |
4 strokes | Paul McGinley Paul McGinley Paul McGinley is an Irish golfer who plays on the European Tour. He is most famous for holing the winning putt for the European team in the 2002 Ryder Cup. He currently resides in Sunningdale, England.... |
|
| 13 | 15 May 2011 2011 European Tour The 2011 European Tour will be the third edition of the Race to Dubai and the 40th season of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972.-Schedule:... |
Iberdrola Open | 3 strokes | David Lynn, Chris Wood Chris Wood (golfer) Christopher James Wood is an English professional golfer who currently plays on the European Tour. He was the low amateur in the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and tied for third in the following year's tournament held at Turnberry.-Amateur career:Wood was born in Bristol, England... |
|
| 14 | 17 Jul 2011 2011 European Tour The 2011 European Tour will be the third edition of the Race to Dubai and the 40th season of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972.-Schedule:... |
The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
3 strokes | Dustin Johnson Dustin Johnson Dustin Hunter Johnson is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour. He is one of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour having been third in the driving distance stats for three consecutive years between 2009-2011.... , Phil MickelsonPhil Mickelson Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed... |
|
European Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1995 | Portuguese Open Portuguese Open The Portuguese Open, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Estoril Open de Portugal, is an annual tournament on men's golf's European Tour. It has been played since 1953, with a few skipped years, and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since 1973... |
Adam Hunter Adam Hunter (golfer) Adam Hunter was a Scottish professional golfer. His achievements included winning the 1995 Portuguese Open. He later became a renowned coach for such golfers as Paul Lawrie.-Career:... |
Lost to Hunter birdie on first extra hole; Clarke made par |
PGA Tour wins (3)
EWLINE
|
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 Feb 2000 | Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship | 4 & 3 | Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
|
| 2 | 24 Aug 2003 | NEC Invitational | 4 strokes | Jonathan Kaye Jonathan Kaye Jonathan Andrew Kaye is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Biography:Kaye was born in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 1993 and turned pro that same year... |
|
| 3 | 17 Jul 2011 2011 PGA Tour The 2011 PGA Tour, the 44th season since the Tour became independent from the PGA of America, will consist of a total of 49 sanctioned events running from early January to late November... |
The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
3 strokes | Dustin Johnson Dustin Johnson Dustin Hunter Johnson is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour. He is one of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour having been third in the driving distance stats for three consecutive years between 2009-2011.... , Phil MickelsonPhil Mickelson Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed... |
|
Japan Golf Tour wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 Apr 2001 | The Crowns The Crowns is a golf tournament on the Japan Golf Tour. The official Japanese name of this competition is "".The tournament record is 260 . It was set by Masashi Ozaki in 1995. The tournament has been played at the Wago Course at the Nagoya Golf Club since the tournament's inception in 1960. The course... |
4 strokes |  Keiichiro FukaboriKeiichiro Fukabori is a Japanese professional golfer who currently plays on the Japan Golf Tour. He has eight wins on the Tour, and had his best year during the 2000 season.Fukabori was born in Tokyo. He turned professional in 1995.... , Shinichi YokotaShinichi Yokota Shinichi Yokota is a Japanese professional golfer.Yokota has won twice on the Japan Golf Tour and twice on the Japan Challenge Tour.Yokota is married to singer Yuko Anai.-External links:... |
|
| 2 | 14 Nov 2004 | Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters is an annual golf tournament on the Japan Golf Tour. It is played in November and in recent years at the Taiheiyo Club, Gotenba Course, Gotenba, Shizuoka and attracts some of the leading international golfers. It was founded in 1972... |
6 strokes | Nozomi Kawahara Nozomi Kawahara Nozomi Kawahara is a Japanese professional golfer.Kawahara plays on the Japan Golf Tour, where he has won once.-External links:... , Lee WestwoodLee Westwood Lee John Westwood OBE is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000, and 2009 seasons... |
|
| 3 | 13 Nov 2005 | Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters | 2 strokes | Mitsuhiro Tateyama |
Sunshine Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 Feb 2001 | Dimension Data Pro-Am Dimension Data Pro-Am The Dimension Data Pro-Am is one of the principal annual golf tournaments on the Southern African Sunshine Tour. It was played in 2009 at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, South Africa, with a prize fund in 2008 of 1.8 million rand. In 2011, the tournament will be played from February 17-20... |
2 strokes |  Tjaart van der Walt, Retief GoosenRetief Goosen Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S... |
Challenge Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 Sep 2003 2003 Challenge Tour The 2003 Challenge Tour was a series of golf tournaments known as the Challenge Tour, the official development tour run by the PGA European Tour... |
Benmore Developments Northern Ireland Masters | 2 strokes | Stuart Little |
Other wins (3)
- 1992 Ulster Professional Championship
- 1994 Irish PGA ChampionshipIrish PGA ChampionshipThe Irish PGA Championship is a golf tournament played annually in Ireland since 1907. It is one of the oldest golf tournaments in the world, the oldest in the Emerald Isles, and has been played at many different golf courses in Ireland. It is the marquee event on the PGA Tour of Ireland's...
- 2010 JP McManus Invitational Pro-Am
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 2011 Open Championship The 2011 Open Championship was the 140th Open Championship, played from July 14–17 at Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent, England. Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland won the event by three strokes for his first major championship victory.-Venue:... |
The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
1 shot lead | −5 (68–68–69–70=275) | 3 strokes | Dustin Johnson Dustin Johnson Dustin Hunter Johnson is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour. He is one of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour having been third in the driving distance stats for three consecutive years between 2009-2011.... , Phil MickelsonPhil Mickelson Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed... |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T8 | CUT |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP | CUT | T43 | T43 | T10 |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T64 | CUT | T39 | T38 | T31 | T11 | T2 | CUT | T30 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP | CUT |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T40 | 24 | T20 | T28 | CUT | T17 | T22 | CUT | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T53 | T30 | T24 | T42 | CUT | DNP | 56 | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T7 | T3 | T37 | T59 | T11 | T15 | CUT | CUT | DNP | T52 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T9 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T13 | CUT | DNP | T42 | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T44 | 1 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T48 | CUT |
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.
Summary
- Tournaments played: 54
- Wins: 1
- 2nd: 1
- 3rd: 1
- Top 10s: 7
- Top 25s: 16
- Missed cuts: 19
- Most consecutive cuts made: 7
Wins (2)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 2000 WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship -Ben Hogan bracket:-Gary Player bracket:-Sam Snead bracket:-Final Four:-Prize money breakdown :-External links:*... |
WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship | n/a | 4 & 3 | n/a | Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
| 2003 2003 WGC-NEC Invitational The 2003 WGC-NEC Invitational was a golf tournament that was contested from August 21–24, 2003 over the South Course at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio... |
WGC-NEC Invitational | 1 shot lead | 4 strokes | Jonathan Kaye Jonathan Kaye Jonathan Andrew Kaye is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Biography:Kaye was born in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 1993 and turned pro that same year... |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accenture Match Play Championship WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship is one of the annual World Golf Championships. It is a knockout event and is staged in January or February each year... |
R64 | 1 | DNP | R64 | QF | 3 | R64 | R64 | R64 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Cadillac Championship | T40 | T17 | NT1 | 63 | T38 | T4 | DNP | T26 | DNP | DNP | T46 | DNP | DNP |
| Bridgestone Invitational WGC-Bridgestone Invitational The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is one of the annual World Golf Championships for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the PGA European Tour... |
T36 | T17 | 3 | T19 | 1 | T14 | T28 | WD | T67 | T6 | T22 | DNP | T68 |
| HSBC Champions | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | DNP | DNP | T38 |
1Cancelled due to terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
DNP = Did not play
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
WD = Withdrew
NT = No tournament
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
Professional team appearances
- Ryder CupRyder CupThe Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
(representing Europe): 1997 (winners), 1999, 2002 (winners), 20042004 Ryder CupThe 35th Ryder Cup Matches were held September 17–19 at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Michigan.The European team won the competition by a margin of 18½ to 9½ points, the winning putt being made by Colin Montgomerie, who maintained his record of never losing in any of his...
(winners), 20062006 Ryder CupThe 36th Ryder Cup Matches were held 22–24 September 2006 at the K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Team Europe won the competition by a score of 18½ to 9½ points, equalling their record winning margin of 2 years earlier. This was the first time Europe had achieved three successive victories...
(winners), 20102010 Ryder CupThe 38th Ryder Cup matches were held 2010 at the Celtic Manor Resort in the city of Newport, Wales. It was the first time the competition was staged in Wales. With the USA as the defending Cup holder the event was played on the newly-constructed Twenty 10 course, specifically designed for the...
(non-playing vice-captain, winners)- Record: 20 matches, 11.5 points (58% Point Percentage)
- All Formats (W-L-H): 10–7–3 = 11.5pts
- Singles: 1–2–2 = 2pts
- Foursomes: 3–3–0 = 3pts
- Fourballs: 6–2–1 = 6.5pts
- Alfred Dunhill CupAlfred Dunhill CupThe Alfred Dunhill Cup was a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000. It was for three man teams of professional golfers, one team representing each country, and was promoted as the "World Team Championship". It was a "special approved event" on the European Tour, which means that it was...
(representing Ireland): 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 - World Cup (representing Ireland): 1994, 1995, 1996
- Seve TrophySeve TrophyThe Seve Trophy is a biennial golf tournament between teams of professional male golfers representing Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe. It is named after five times major winner Seve Ballesteros, the most successful golfer ever from Continental Europe who was one of the key...
(representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2000, 2002 (winners), 20112011 Vivendi Seve TrophyThe 2011 Vivendi Seve Trophy, formerly known as the Seve Trophy, was played 15-18 September at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche in France. The team captain for Great Britain and Ireland was Paul McGinley, with the captain for Continental Europe being Jean van de Velde...
(winners) - Royal TrophyRoyal TrophyThe Royal Trophy is a men's professional team golf tournament which was played for the first time in January 2006 at the Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand. The competing teams represent Europe and Asia. Eight man teams play a series of 16 matches involving foursomes, four-ball and...
(representing Europe): 20072007 Royal TrophyThe 2007 Royal Trophy was the second edition of The Royal Trophy, a team golf event contested between teams representing Asia and Europe. It was held from 12–14 January at the Amata Spring Country Club in Thailand...
(winners)
Awards and honours
- 1993 Texaco Ireland Sportstar Golf Award
- 1997 Texaco Ireland Sportstar Golf Award
- 1998 Texaco Ireland Sportstar Golf Award
- 2000 Texaco Ireland Sportstar Golf Award
- 2003 Texaco Ireland Sportstar Golf Award
- 2004 Texaco Ireland Sportstar Golf Award (shared with Pádraig HarringtonPadraig HarringtonPádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:...
and Paul McGinleyPaul McGinleyPaul McGinley is an Irish golfer who plays on the European Tour. He is most famous for holing the winning putt for the European team in the 2002 Ryder Cup. He currently resides in Sunningdale, England....
)
See also
- List of golfers with most European Tour wins
- List of European Ryder Cup golfers
- List of people on stamps of Ireland