Honest bag man gives Clarke a lift

JOHN MULROONEY, who caddied for Darren Clarke at last weekend’s British Open, has joined the chorus of praise and admiration reverberating around the sporting world for the Dungannon man’s achievement, describing Sunday as “the most amazing day of my life”.

But the Bray native had more than a little say in Clarke’s performance, having provided the harsh, honest words needed in the days before the championship.

“On the Wednesday, Darren came and he said to me, ‘I think I’ve gone too technical’. I lost my temper and I said, ‘I’ve been saying that to you for weeks’, and I just went into one. I won’t go into exactly what I said, but I gave him one and he thanked me for it the next day. He told me, ‘what you said to me is exactly what I need you to say if I get like that again’. I was passionate and honest and said things he needed to hear.”