Darren Clarke

Darren was off for an evening of R&R with Chubby, taking in some UEFA Cup antics at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium. The mood was extremely relaxed, but the backdrop to the evening was the increased concern about the health of Darren’s wife, Heather. It’s been more than two years since Heather was diagnosed with breast cancer. Having beaten the disease once, she’s now fighting secondary cancer and is also slowly recovering from a heart problem related to her treatment. Just a few weeks earlier, Darren had withdrawn from the Volvo Masters at Valderrama after the first round, flying back to his home in Longcross, Surrey to be with the family. Everyone in the close-knit world of golf feared the worst.

“It wasn’t as dramatic as it might have looked,” he explained. “I just thought I’d be much better off at home with Heather and the boys. Valderrama is not the sort of golf course that is going to let you be anything other than 100 per cent focused and mentally I wasn’t there. I was hitting the ball great on the range, but when I got out on the course I couldn’t perform. I wasn’t doing myself any favours and I wasn’t doing any favours to my playing partners either.

“The thing is, from a golfing point of view,

if I start a tournament playing OK then I’m fine. If I play badly, then there’s no fight in me. I’m not mentally strong enough to cope with the hard times on the golf course right now.”

With his gigantic hands folded in front of him and a pint of Guinness by his side, Darren was in an honest mood. When he talked about his fitness he smiled: “Well, as I sit here with a cigarette and a pint I’m happy to say that I’ve started working with Doctor Conal O’Brien, the Irish Olympic team doctor.”
He confessed that he had completely lost count of the number of holes in one he’d nailed (“If I had to guess, I’d say 20, two or three of them on par fours”); and denied any involvement with pipe-smoking (“Chubby’s tried to get me into it, but I just couldn’t bring myself”).

A couple of things emerged from the conversation. While he’s good company and clearly loves a bit of banter, there’s a more earnest side to him that’s easily hidden behind the stereotypical cigar-smoking caricature that’s been bandied around for years. When I asked him about the way he thought professional golf was going, he practically pulled out a soapbox.

“We’re self-regulatory. We’re all brought up with a certain etiquette and that’s what makes the game as special as it is. If you break that code, you’re done. You lose and you lose respect. It’s a gentleman’s game, you play with honour.”
There speaks a man of conviction and passion – a guardian of the game. He’s clearly earned the role, having clocked over 15 years on the European Tour.

Graeme McDowell remembers Darren inviting him over to his place in Surrey for a weekend in 2002, Graeme’s first year on tour. “He was absolutely brilliant. I remember him opening up his garage doors and telling me to help myself to any of his clubs. I took a putter and two weeks later I won the Volvo Scandinavian Masters.

“He was really supportive all through the tournament. He loves the game and he clearly loves playing a major part on tour. He did ask for a cut of the prizemoney, though...”

» Darren Clarke Part 3