Darren Clarke Open ambitions take back seat to Ryder Cup defence

The Open may well be the major championship most suited to Darren Clarke’s game, and Royal Troon one of his more favoured courses on the R&A’s rotation, but the 2011 champion’s ambitions will take a back seat in this Ryder Cup season.

European captain Clarke is just 11 weeks from leading his continent’s Ryder defence as underdogs at Hazeltine in Minnesota. That means there is only one thing consuming the Portrush resident and it is not his golf game, however much the Open means to him.

The 47-year-old’s major victory came in this tournament at Royal St George’s five years ago but it was here at Troon in 1997 that he finished runner-up alongside Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik to Justin Leonard and then tied for 11th on its return in 2004.