Clarke joins Euro ‘500’ club

Darren Clarke joins an elite club of just 25 members to have competed in 500 European Tour events when he tees up in this week’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

Clarke isn’t the first Irishman to achieve the honour with Eamonn Darcy (610), Des Smyth (594) and Paul McGinley (545) all members of the exclusive group.

Clarke made his European Tour debut as a then amateur in the 1990 Carroll’s Irish Open at Portmarnock which was won by Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal.