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Clarke pays price for wayward putts
By Simon Lewis
Darren Clarke’s Open Championship title defence was brought to a premature end last night after the Irishman failed to make the halfway cut at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Clarke became the sixth champion todefend his title but miss the halfway cut — Tom Watson missed a third-round cut in 1976 — after shooting rounds of 76 and 71, his second round not nearly good enough to get him under the cut line at three over par.Despite an improved score, Clarke’s round featured two birdies and three bogeys to leave him at seven over to bring a disappointing end toa year fraught with troubles on the golf course sincehe lifted the Claret Jug at Royal St George’s 12 months ago.
Having received a standing ovation at the 18th, R&A chief executive Peter Dawson and the governing body’s chairman of the championship committee Jim McArthuroffered their commiserations to Clarke as he came off the 18th green but the Irishman’s smiles could not hide hisgenuine disappointment at the early exit.
“I played okay. I didn’t play that bad but you can’tcompete putting the way I’m putting, so I’m frustrated,” Clarke said.
“(The reception) was wonderful. The roll coming down the last and all the people shouting was fantastic.It’s great. But just dis-appointing.”
Clarke was one of three Irishmen to fail to make the weekend despite both Alan Dunbar and Michael Hoey also improving their first-round scores.
British Amateur champion Dunbar followed his opening 75 with a one-over-par 71 to finish on six over par and outscored his only other amateur rival Manuel Trappel by 11 strokes but as he missed the cut he will not receive the R&A’s Silver Medal as the low amateur.
The 22-year-old though, will take solace from the encouragement of his fellow Portrush resident Clarke, with whom he played a practice round at Lytham on Tuesday.
“He did okay. He’ll be fine,” Clarke said. “You don’t win the British Amateur unless you’re a talented player.”
Hoey, meanwhile, knew that with his swing deserting him he was out of the mix following an opening, nine-over 79 on Thursday and his mission to relax and enjoy his first Open since his 2001 debut as reigning British Amateur champion paid off somewhat as the four-time European Tour winner bowed out with an improved four-over 75.