Clarke sure of Race to Dubai spot
The European Tour will break from recent tradition with this week’s inaugural Volvo Golf Champions and featuring 120 players, to herald in 2012 with only the winners competing from the 2011 schedule.
But in a move that has ensured Clarke has already qualified, any European Tour member with 10 wins or more will automatically compete.
Clarke, who has captured a dozen Race to Dubai events, was unaware of the qualification until being informed by Colin Montgomerie, designer of this week’s Royal Golf Club.
“It’s going to be very nice knowing I will be starting the New Year here in Bahrain, and it was Mr Ryder Cup captain who told me that on the range,” said Clarke smiling.
“He asked me ‘how many tournaments have you won on the European Tour?’ I said I’d no idea, 12 or 13 or something like that.
“Ah,” he added, “So you’ll be here then, too. He walked away very happy with himself.”
Clarke will get to speak more with Monty as the pair, along with Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, will play the opening two rounds of this week’s €1.7m event together.
Monty has come in for some controversy over the undulating nature of the greens.
England’s Paul Casey admitted it will be akin to Monty having a target attached to his back.
“It’s going to be very difficult for him (Monty), so he’s got a target on him this week, but we’re going to have fun with him, and we’re not going to be too hard on him,” said Casey.
Clarke admitted: “I may have to bite my tongue on a few occasions but we’ve already been having a little bit of fun and stuff.
“The key this week is keeping your patience, as the greens are very tricky.
“I do like the golf course but it’s the greens that are a little bit too much and I’m sure Monty will agree with me, as well.”
However while Clarke is assured of being in Bahrain in a year’s time, he’s looking no further ahead than this week, and certainly not entertaining any thoughts of the 2014 Ryder Cup captaincy given new captain Jose Maria Olazabal recently singled him out as a Gleneagles candidate.
“You are asked to be captain by the Ryder Cup Committee and at no stage would I be presumptuous enough to suggest they might want me to be captain, so you have to be asked,” said Clarke.
Which then led to Clarke being quizzed on the 2012 choice of Olazabal.
It led to Clarke revealing for the first time an emotional moment involving he and Olazabal during the final day of the 2006 Ryder Cup at the K Club, shortly after the death of the Tyrone man’s wife Heather and straight after the Spaniard had won 2 & 1 over Phil Mickelson. Clarke recalled: “My game was over and I’d gone to see him, and after he won his match on the 17th green, he gave me a big hug on that 17th green and started crying and said: ‘I am so very proud of you’.
“Nobody saw that or knew about it.
“Heather just got on so great with him, as well. He’s an unbelievably thoughtful man, both in terms of other people and what he’s trying to do. When I think of how much esteem with which he’s held out here, there is nobody higher.”
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