Clarke champions links courses for future events

DARREN CLARKE believes future Irish Opens should be played on links courses.

Clarke heaped praise on Baltray after he finished with a round of 70 for a six under par total of 282 and a share of 13th place. A bogey six at the 18th cost him a first European Tour top ten finish of the year but it could be that Clarke is on the right road after a very trying start to 2009.

With question marks over when and where the tournament will be played next year, Clarke was unequivocal: “For me, it has to be a links,” he insisted. “I grew up watching the Irish Open at Royal Dublin and Portmarnock and this is not taking away from the other great courses to have hosted the event. But for me it should be on a links golf course and we certainly played one of the best here this week.