I won’t shirk the tough decisions, vows Darren Clarke

Darren Clarke’s Ryder Cup captaincy took off at Heathrow Airport yesterday with the newly appointed European skipper insisting as matey as he is with his potential team members, he will not shirk the tough decisions.

Clarke has the unenviable task of trying to win a fourth successive Ryder Cup for Europe when the legendary matches with the US are renewed at Hazeltine National in Minnesota in 18 months.

Not only that he must do so by trying to improve on the excellent job done by predecessor and fellow Irishman Paul McGinley last September at Gleneagles and also hold off a young and hungry American team hellbent on vengeance.