Clarke plots Major changes

DARREN CLARKE will tee off for the first time as a Major champion today, fully aware that the rest of his professional career — and the way he approaches it — is in need of a rethink.

Aside from dealing with the hullabaloo that will accompany his golfing homecoming at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club this afternoon when he gets his first round under way at the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland 2011, 42-year-old Clarke also has deeper issues to deal with as he adjusts to the life of a Major champion and all that entails.

Instead of heading into the twilight of his career, he now has a new lease of life with five years of exemptions into the Masters, US Open and PGA Championships and a free pass into the British Open until his 60th birthday.