Clarke keeping one eye on Muirfield

Darren Clarke still proudly lays claim to being the first player to have competed at Castle Stuart, the host for this week’s Scottish Open, who then went on the following week to win the British Open.

His good friend Ernie Els was the second and heads to Muirfield next week as defending champion. And while Clarke has struggled to show anywhere near the form that helped him lift the famed Claret Jug at Royal St George’s, there was is no denying his enthusiasm to become Ireland’s second double-winning British Open champion in seven years.

“When the Tour first came here to Castle Stuart in 2011 I played really, really well for the first two rounds but then I had a tough day on the Sunday,” he said.