Ryder Cup - Dutch win boosts Clarke Ryder Cup hopes
Eurosport - Wed, 27 Aug 16:39:00 2008
Briton Darren Clarke won the Dutch Open, boosting his chances of a Ryder Cup wild card.
Clarke finished four strokes ahead of Irishman Paul McGinley. Sweden's Henrik Stenson was third, one stroke further back.
A second successive four-under 66 in strong winds at the Kennemer links - for a 16-under 264 total - earned Clarke his second European Tour title of the year.
Clarke's impressive performance is sure to be noted by European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo, who will announce his two wild cards after his team's top 10 automatic qualifiers have been decided at Gleneagles, Scotland, next week on the close of the Johnnie Walker Championship.
The 40-year-old Clarke went into the final round three shots ahead of playing partner and world number six Stenson, who had already sealed his Ryder Cup place.
Stenson, who shot a 68, had birdies at the first three holes.
With Clarke dropping a shot at the second, Stenson took over the lead with a raking 40-footer on the third.
Clarke would not be denied, though, and regained his advantage with six birdies in the next nine holes.
A closing bogey by Stenson enabled McGinley (64), who had come through the field with a chip-in eagle and five birdies, to take second place on his own.
With a record of three wins out of three in the 2006 Ryder Cup, after a long lay-off because of his late wife Heather's terminal illness, Clarke's recent surge of good form, including a sixth place in the WGC at Akron, will surely impress Faldo.
"It feels good to play well when you know you have to," Northern Irishman Clarke said after adding to his Asian Open win in April with his 12th European Tour success.
"I can't have any say in the wild cards and it's up to Nick to pick who he sees is best going to help the team but I needed to play well to make him look at me.
"Now I'll try to do that again next week at Gleneagles."
In the battle for Ryder Cup automatic places Denmark's Soren Hansen slipped past Oliver Wilson to take ninth spot in the table.
Hansen again hit back from a bad start to take a share of sixth place in the Netherlands, on eight under with a 68.
The Dane dropped four shots in the first three holes on Saturday and this time had to come back from an opening double-bogey.
"I must like putting the knife to my throat," Hansen told Reuters. "It was all down to nerves. But I again managed to dig deep. I want that Ryder Cup place so badly."
A poor weekend cost Briton Justin Rose any chance of contending in the Fedex Cup in the United States.
After closing with a second successive 71 to be only two under, Rose decided he has to play next week's Scottish event rather than return to the US PGA tour to try to make sure of his Ryder Cup debut next month.
"I came over here to do a job and didn't do it, so I'll have to do it next week," the world number 12, who is eighth on the Cup list, said.
Sweden's Robert Karlsson, already in Faldo's team, is suffering from a painful neck and has withdrawn from the European Masters in Switzerland in two weeks' time.
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Comment 1 - 19 of 19
very well done Darren
it's a shame your supporters are so bigotted and small minded.
just one of the reasons that I wanted sergio to beat padraig at birkdale and oakland hills, and i've nothing against padraig, great approach to 17 at birkdale one of bravest shots i've seen.
Well done Darren, it is lovely to see you back in form for the Ryder Cup. I am delighted for you. Keep it up.
Lets just forget his area of birth and be glad that he is back in winning form.
I am so pleased for you Darren, I lost my wife about the same time as you lost yours, so I can understand where you have been. Just keep going forward and winning in the Ryder Cup team.
1 of my fav golfers hope he gets into da rider cup team (representing ireland ) hes as good as justin rose and sergio garcia :) plus congrads on da win darren he deserves it
Well done Darren good to see you back on form.Even better to see your sons watching and supporting you
Wel done Darren its good to see you back to top form and i hope that you never see or listen the PRATTS who insist on bringing politics into sport.
SPORT IS FOR SPORTSMEN FULL STOP
When Darren was an amateur he was glad to represent Ireland,presumably he considered himself Irish, as there is no such golfing entity as Northern Ireland in the amateur game. In fact no such entity in the professional game either. however commentators persist in describing him, and indeed lately Rory McIlroy as N.I. on television. On the other hand neither of these very talented golfers will represent Ireland in the golfing world cup, simply because they were born in N.I. We will have to settle for the fact that most people born in N.I. presumably consider themselves Irish . P.S. Well done Darren I hope you join Padraig in the British and Irish (sorry) European Ryder Cup team-funny how things can change.
Who cares were the guy is from. well done darren, great game.
Ulster is traditionally composed of nine counties: three of which are part of the Republic of Ireland with the remaining six constituting Northern Ireland.
Six of Ulster's nine counties, Antrim (Aontroim), Armagh (Ard Mhacha), Down (An Dún), Fermanagh (Fear Manach), Londonderry (Doire) (formerly known as County Coleraine before being renamed and expanded during the Plantation of Ulster) and Tyrone (Tír Eoghain), form Northern Ireland, and remained part of the United Kingdom after the partition of Ireland in 1921. Three Ulster counties, Cavan (An Cabhán), Donegal (Dún na nGall) and Monaghan (Muineachán) form part of the Republic of Ireland.
Source: Wikepedia
Ulster is NOT part of the UK. Six of the counties of Ulster are if you have a brain and can look properly
Darren is from Co Tyrone which is both part of Ulster and Northern Ireland which in turn is part of the UK so technically you are all partially correct..........
well done mr denny. last time i looked 3 of the ulster counties were in the republic. but you'd never know, im probably wrong, you're probably right, being the complete know-it-all you are. tool.
WELLLLLLLLLLLL DONE DARREN , GOOD LUCK FOR THE FUTURE MATE .
Last week I said to pick Darren for the Ryder Cup based on heart not head. Well the head has spoken as well as the heart now. So pleasd to see you back in the winners circle Darren.
Mr TheDenny, you must not look too often, in that case, as ULSTER has NEVER been part of the UK. If you want a lesson on the geographical layout of the island of Ireland, just ask a 10 year old.... If by ULSTER you mean the province of 9 counties then you are also mathematically challenged as there are only 6 counties or Ireland in the UK.
The brits like to claim the irish as brits but I'm afraid to inform you that Padraig Harrington is in fact from dublin in the republic of ireland.
i saw an article the other week in an english paper saying "padraig harrington hailing from the british isles",i never laughed so hard in my life.they have justin rose.golfs ugliest looking man,he needs to take a shower and do something about his teeth.why are english peoples teeth always so crooked and rotten for ?
Well the last time i looked ULSTER was a part of the uk
Congrats Darren..........Funny mind he's Irish when he's not winning and a Briton when he wins.........
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