Clarke backs Westwood to end Major drought

Darren Clarke was clearly making the most of his first day as a major champion today – and he hopes it is only four weeks until Lee Westwood is doing the same.

Up all night celebrating his Open success, the 42-year-old “People’s Champion” spared a thought for his long-time friend and world number two.

Westwood is the younger by four years, but he was also playing his 54th major at Sandwich and by missing the halfway cut his wait goes on.

“Lee has done everything he can do to get himself into contention to win,” said Clarke, who flew home to Portrush this afternoon to be re-united with his sons, Tyrone and Conor, and then to continue the partying in a way that might do Andrew Flintoff proud.

“He has been there many times (six top-three finishes in the last three years). Unfortunately he’s had guys that have played better or have had the bounce of the ball.

“I’m sure things will go his way because he’s too good a player. The game is fickle – it hammers you. It hammers you and then it gives you something.

“Of all people, I think Lee Westwood deserves something to be given to him and I’m very sure that he will win majors and not just a major.”

Clarke followed Charl Schwartzel and Rory McIlroy as winners of the majors this season.

And not only are they all members of the same management stable as Westwood, but last year’s Open champion Louis Oosthuizen is as well.

“Right now it’s been tough for him, obviously Rory winning and then me winning and stuff,” said Clarke.

“But if I was a gambling man, I would have a substantial bet on Lee Westwood winning the PGA in Atlanta – I hope he does.”

The year’s final major on August 11-14 is now one of the events Clarke can add to his schedule.

Not just for this year, but for the next four as well, while his victory earns him an automatic place in The Open until 2030 and in The Masters – a tournament he has not played the last four times – until 2017.

It is an astonishing turnaround for a player who, a week ago, was 111th in the world and without a major top-10 finish for a decade.

The more you think about Clarke’s triumph by three strokes over Americans Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, the more remarkable it is.

Following McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, he is the third Northern Irish golfer in the last 13 months to taste major success. In the previous 149 years there had been only Fred Daly.

No wonder McIlroy tweeted: “Northern Ireland ...... Golf capital of the world!!”, while McDowell jokingly described Clarke as “the first Northern Irish golfer to win a major in almost four weeks! Incredible”.

He is also the third oldest player ever to win his first major. The previous two were 45-year-old Jerry Barber at the 1961 US PGA and 44-year-old Roberto de Vicenzo at the 1967 Open.

In The Open alone, meanwhile, only three champions have been older than Clarke - Vicenzo, Harry Vardon and Old Tom Morris.

All this was not lost on the man who has known his fair share of bad times - the worst of them all when he lost his wife, Heather, to breast cancer just six weeks before he summoned up the courage to play at the 2006 Ryder Cup at The K Club near Dublin, where he won all three of his games.

Asked if he appreciated what he had achieved more than he would have done when he was close to winning at Troon in 1997 and Lytham in 2001, he said: “Most definitely.

“Ten years ago I did take an awful lot of things for granted as a professional golfer. I’m much more appreciative of what the sponsors do, of what the players do and I’m much more switched on to everything that goes into the tournament.”

Manager Andrew Chandler, who now has the chance next month of achieving what - because of his nickname – is being dubbed the “Chubby Slam”, believes that Clarke moving back to his homeland and becoming engaged to former Miss Northern Ireland Alison Campbell has played a significant part in realising his dream.

“He’s happy,” said Chandler, “and during the week I could see he had the same disposition that he had when he beat Tiger in the World Match Play (in 2000).

“It happens about once every three years with Darren and now he’s back where he feels he belongs. It’s changed where he’ll be playing and it’s made his career.”

There will be huge financial benefits inevitably, but with £16m Clarke was already the sixth biggest money-winner in European Tour history before he added another £900,000.

Like McIlroy and Westwood, he is not expected to take up the membership of the PGA Tour in America now available to him – in his case for five years – because as things stand that would require him to play 15 tournaments, but pressure is bound to grow now on that rule being relaxed further.

Wins in Japan and South Africa during his career have made him hugely popular in those markets, Chandler added, and part of his appeal in Asia is that he comes across so well as a drinking, smoking, middle-aged regular guy.

And a guy who really knows how to play golf whatever the weather. McIlroy take note there after finishing 25th and then saying the windy conditions did not suit him.

“There’s lots of advice I can give him (they will play together with Masters champion Schwartzel the first two days of the PGA), but I’m not going to share it with you,” said Clarke.

“He is as talented, even more talented, than anybody on the planet with what he can do with a golf ball.

“It’s maybe a little bit of direction from his old mentor that will point him in the right way – he’ll be fine.”

McIlroy came through Clarke’s junior golf Foundation and now, at 42 and 22, they are Open champion and US Open champion. Incredible.