Time out with Ryder Cup Captain Darren Clarke

Darren Clarke delivers a candid assessment of the Ryder Cup and explains why the players love coming to Dubai

Worldwide Golf met Darren Clarke at last month’s DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates and discussed a variety of topics from his captaincy of Europe’s 2016 Ryder Cup Team to his forthcoming career on the European Senior Tour, to the season-ending climax to the Race to Dubai and its world class golf courses. The likeable Irishman talks about Europe’s defeat at Hazeltine and the end of their long-term winning run.

DARREN CLARKE: I’m obviously disappointed with the final result but the guys did their best, they just came up a little bit short. The American team played a little better and certainly putted better than we did. Our preparation was good and everything we could have done, we did. Sometimes in professional sport that happens, and the opposition simply has a better game. When that happens  you’ve just got to hold your hands up and congratulate the Americans because they were the better team overall and they deserved the win.

WWG: With hindsight was there anything you could have done differently?
DC: I think if you were to take a look back at recent years, most of the time the Ryder Cup has been decided by the team that performs best on the greens. Europe has certainly been better on the greens in previously encounters but in this edition the Americans, obviously, were the better side and basically, that was the difference.

darren with Worldwide GolfWWG: A lot has been said in the media about the poor behaviour of the American fans but how much of an impact did they really have?
DC: Home support is huge and it always plays a massive part in the outcome. It’s what makes the Ryder Cup such a great spectacle. The American fans gave their team great support throughout. They are very patriotic and rightly so.

WWG: There were a lot of positives to be taken from the tournament, particularly Rory McIlroy’s talismanic role compared to when he started as a rookie in the European team.
DC: You can’t play that role when you are a rookie. You need to have performed in a few Ryder Cups before you can comprehend the role and how to play the part. Rory was certainly inspired throughout the week. He played phenomenal golf, especially against Patrick Reed. Patrick let off a little bit of steam afterwards but to see Rory performing so well and to see him as vocal as he was behind the scenes was fantastic. It was a privilege for me to see him in such good form. I have known him well from a young age and to see him turn into the man he is now is a wonderful thing.

WWG: Some of the players in the team have played in numerous Ryder Cups – who would you recommend as the captain in Paris?
DC: It’s not up to me alone. There will be a few people who will have their names put into the ring. We will then see who wishes to be Ryder Cup Captain and have a discussion between us on who would be the best man for the job. The three most recent captains, the Chairman of the Tournament Committee and Chief Executive of the European Tour, Keith Pelley, are involved in making that decision. It would be unfair for me to recommend anyone at the moment.

WWG: Whoever that man is, what would be the best piece of advice you would give to the next man in the hotseat?
DC: There would be a big guarantee that the elected Captain had already been a Ryder Cup vice-captain. You just can’t take on the role unless you have played that part to understand what is required. Past captains have always been there to offer any advice required and certainly I asked all the recent captains for advice and they were all happy to help out. If the new captain decides to ask my opinion I’d be more than pleased to do that. There are many different factors and many different jobs that you would not fully realise until you become a captain. The job of leading the team is an all-encompassing role and it gets bigger as the tournament progresses. There will be certain things that the new captain will not be familiar with and that’s why you need to consult the previous captains. If a new captain were to ask my advice then I will help him as much as I can – and hope that it will be beneficial.

Darren with RafaWWG: Another huge positive was how the rookies performed, particularly Thomas Pieters and Rafa Cabrera Bello.
DC: I think that all the rookies played well. Just because they didn’t win doesn’t mean that they didn’t play well. We had six rookies out there and I am sure that they will be there for Paris. The team will change but those six guys will definitely get stronger for the experience of this Ryder Cup.

WWG: For the last 15 years, the European team has won seven out of eight Ryder Cup tournaments. Looking at the squad of players available, do you expect the winning habit to continue?
DC: I think it will be a very strong European team for Paris in 2018. The team was already in good shape in this last tournament but home advantage played its part in the Americans’ victory. In two years’ time we will play in France with ‘home’ advantage. The golf course is incredible for the tournament, and I am expecting the Ryder Cup to come back to Europe.

WWG: What would you make of Lee Westwood’s form in the Ryder Cup and how do you think his form has improved since?
DC:  Lee didn’t play well on that Friday, by his own admission. However, he bounced back and played fantastically on Saturday and Sunday, he just didn’t get the results he deserved. There was a lot of focus on Lee missing out on the team but he played so well to get on the team. In terms of his form I think he was great. He just carried on and played the way he always does.

WWG: Now that the pressure of having to focus on the Ryder Cup is off, are you looking forward to playing tournament golf again?
DC: Yes, I’m looking forward to playing in the Gary Player Invitational and then the Alfred Dunhill. I’m a professional golfer and I’m eager to play again and get back into the game. With concentrating on the Ryder Cup now behind me, I have the time and dedication to get back to form and enjoy the game and do what I love doing best.

WWG: What are your plans over the coming years? It’s not too long before you are eligible to play on the European Senior Tour?
DC: Yes. I certainly want to play on the Senior Tour and keep enjoying the game that I love so much. I am sure that I will keep on playing competitive tournament golf.

WWG: As a patron of the MENA Tour, what do you make of the emergence and the development of the tour in the region?
DC: I think it has been huge. We have a pool of players here who can play in the MENA Tour and gain more ranking points to become eligible to play in the Olympics. For the UAE to be able to have that and to be represented in golf at the Olympics is a huge step forward. I think David Spencer and everybody involved in the Tour should be congratulated for what they have achieved. It is the fastest-growing professional golf tour in the world and I hope the growth continues.

WWG: What are your roles as a patron of the MENA Tour?
DC: I tend to be an advisory and I keep track on the tour. I also play once a year and get involved. I like to see how it progresses and how we can make it better.

WWG: You have a long-term partnership with Audemars Piguet, what is it about the company that you enjoy working with?
DC: They are one of the best! I was a big watch collector before. I was fortunate enough to join AP, and I have been with them since 2005. They are a brand that I had respected before I became involved with them and I have even more respect for them now that I am working with them. One of the best watch brands in the world, they aspire to be the best and they are pushing innovation forward as much as they possibly can. For me to be associated with them is a huge honour.

 

darren-in-Dubai_WWGWWG: For someone who has visited the UAE for so many years,  how do you think golf has developed in Dubai and the UAE?
DC: My first time coming here was in February 1991 when I played in the Dubai Desert Classic and there was just one building between the airport and the Emirates Golf Club! The city has grown at an unbelievable rate and the golf courses are some of the best in the world. I have always enjoyed every course I have played here. I visited the Trump International Golf Course, and it it’s a fantastic challenge. Itís also a bit different from most of the courses here in Dubai.

WWG: I noticed you are wearing a nice piece now?Darren's_watch_WWG
DC: This one looks better when I am in the sunshine! It’s a white 44 Offshore – this one is ceramic. They do different colours. I have three or four very special APs that I like to wear most of the time. People might not recognise a difference in these watches but the people who are into watches certainly do. They are beautiful. They stand-out but they are also subtle.

WWG: What do you think the DP World Tour Championship has added to the European Tour and what is your favourite memory from the tournament?

DC: My regret is not having played enough times in the tournament! I do think that the Earth course is developing well and it’s getting better and better. The players certainly love coming here. Dubai has been very good for the European Tour. They give us a venue where we come and play at the start and the end of the year. The players really enjoy it here. They can go to their favourite hotels and they know their way around Dubai. They work all year to get into the top 60 of the Race to Dubai to become eligible to play and compete here. We have had some great champions in this tournament, and some of the shots we have seen up at the 18th have been simply mesmerising. With champions like Henrik, Rory and Lee, the championship is getting bigger and better year on year

trump-17

Pictured: The par 3, 17th hole at the Trump International Golf Club which Darren visited on his recent trip to Dubai.

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