When Irish eyes are smiling...
Congrats to Darren Clarke for capturing the Claret Jug by two shots over Americans Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.
This was clearly Clarke’s week. He’s a great wind player, hit the ball beautifully, charmed the crowds and the media, but he got a few lucky bounces, too — which are always required to win a major. Of course, skill triumphs in the end, but good breaks are necessary (like hitting the top of the bunker and skipping onto the green or bouncing toward the pin instead of the junk). As they say, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good…
Clarke is a deserving winner who played beautifully all week. Some will argue that Phil and Dustin choked. I’m not sure I agree with that. Clarke just flat-out outplayed the field.
Here are some highlights from his press conference before I pack up for the night:
*In the middle of the presser, someone walked in and handed Clarke a pint of Guinness. “Cheers,” he said. “Excuse me for a little and I’ll have a little sip.”
*”I’m on Weight Watchers tomorrow morning. I’m at Chubby’s apartment, so I’m going to eat and drink as much as I want tonight and he’s going to help me on it tomorrow morning…I’ll probably get bored with it in a week and give up. (Laughter.) I think this could probably be a bad week for me to try and start. I think every time there’s five points in a pint of Guinness, I think it’s a real bad week for me to start. With Chubby doing it, I can’t get away from listening about him doing it.”
*Q. There were some idiot golf writers out there who wrote you off.
DARREN CLARKE: Hang on, let me just scratch my little — no, I’m trying to recollect your little line. “He’s in his inexorable slide toward relevance.” Is that what you said? Is that what you said? I’ve got the paper at home. I can show it to you if you don’t believe me, “inexorable slide towards relevance.” This is a mirage. Carry on, sorry.
* Clarke on what they’re doing in Portrush: “They’re probably all getting pissed, I would imagine if you really want to know, which means they’re drinking too much. They’re probably all having a drink in Portrush. If they’re not, I hope they are.”
*Clarke on whether he’s playing the Irish Open: “I will be in Killarney. I may not be sober for the Irish Open, but I will be in Killarney.”
*Clarke on why he’s popular with the public and fans: “Because I’m a bit of a normal bloke, aren’t I, really? I like to have a pint, I like to — I don’t know, go to the pub and have a pint, jump on Easy Jet, fly home, buy everybody a drink, just normal. There’s not many airs and graces about me. I was, as a few of the scribes will attest to in here, a little bit more difficult to deal with in my earlier years, and I’ve mellowed some. Just a little bit. But I’m just a normal guy playing golf, having a bit of fun.”
More to come tomorrow. Have a good night. Congrats again to Darren Clarke, and thanks for sending champagne to the media room.
Oh yeah, and we’re on full Chubby-Slam watch — Charl Schwartzel (Masters), Rory McIlroy (US Open), and now Clarke (British Open). Which one of his clients will claim the fourth and final major of the season, the PGA Championship? Maybe it’ll finally be Lee Westwood’s week. Or Rory’s again.
(AP Photo)
Nice ! salute Dclarke
Congrats DC and great writing Stef always enjoy your words
To play so well in such conditions was remarkable, especially there being only two par 5s.
Darren Clarke: Claret Juggernaut
Clarke grabbed a Claret with a beer chaser.
Since Westwood became the favorite in the Chandler Stable to win a major about a year and a half ago, just about everyone else in the stable has won: Oosthuizen, Schwarzel, McIlroy, and Clarke.
The Chubby Slam is still a possibility. Glad for DC. A fun loving guy living life to the full.
However, when my 7yr asked him for his autogrpah at the Celtic Manor a couple of months ago, he grumpled, snatched the pen, signed and carried on. Though trying to explain to my son that perhaps we caught him at a bad time and he was busy, my son still recalls him as the man who is grumpy and snatched his pen!!
Great quote: “I’m a little bit of a traditionalist. I love the thought of whatever being in the trophy, but I’m a little bit of 2-iron as opposed to rescue, and I’m that sort of guy.”
Who the heck is Chubby Chandler? Their manager or something? What does a manager do for a golfer? I watch golf week in and week out and read all the articles and stats, and I barely have any idea. How did he become so influential? Now he’s a name that can be dropped and everyone know who he is? Who else is in his “stable”? What’s the story about these relationships?
Claret Juggernaut FTW.
Great effort by Clarke. Yes I agree I think he just outplayed everyone else over the 4 days. Nobody really really backwards to give him the title he just played a lot more consistent.
Who the heck is Chubby Chandler?!?
A: He is the guy that Mark Steinberg dreams of being.
@Marky Mark – I’m sure Mark Steinberg doesn’t dream of being anyone else with what has happened over his career. A few majors now doesn’t exactly match 14 from one guy.
@Paul, Steiny is a despised figure outside of Camp Tiger. Chubby has the respect of an entire continent of golfers, and now the US as well for his guidance and savvy. (How about that Dunlap deal that is getting Clarke 3 mill ?). Steiny has produced one fing deal for Tiger (heat rub?) in the last 2 years, and his enabling behavior can at least be partially factored into TW’s downfall. So maybe Steiny should look at Chubby for some behavior to emulate.
@Brian S – That’s all nice and fine, but I wouldn’t care who liked me with all that cash. Who cares if you have respect, what is with people and needing others approval. Mark has earned very well for himself and again being who he is I am MORE than positive he doesn’t care to be anyone else. P.S. He had nothing to do with Tiger’s “downfall”, Tiger did that all on his own.
@Brian S – P.P.S. Apparently Chubby doesn’t have as much respect as you think as many people don’t even know who he is. Also, he’s a manager, I don’t really respect him any more or less than any other manager.
Something tells me that if Rory or Westy or whoever was stepping out of line to the extent that all of their hard won sponsorship $$ could be flushed down the drain, that Chubby and his posse of Eurotour/Brits would intervene. Tiger unfortunately only is/was surrounded by yes men and sycophants such as Steiny and Stevie, so he was not as fortunate in his friends and associates.
I’ll give you that, but really in the end it’s golf and that is all they were probably concerned with. Tiger still has the bread winner (Nike) so that is probably all he’ll need.