DARREN CLARKE added tenacity to his considerable other virtues and can today start his Ryder Cup celebrations.
The big Ulsterman battled to a final round of 70 in the Deutsche Bank Open, won in Hamburg yesterday by Manchester's Ross McFarlane, and his prize of £37,500 for fourth place on a four under par 282, sealed his debut in the match against the USA at Valderrama in September.
Clarke, runner up in the previous week's Volvo PGA Championship, stands third in the Ryder qualifying table this morning with 375,451 points after his fifth top 10 finish of the season. As he is fourth in the Volvo ranking with more than £202,000 winnings this year, he can well afford his decision to put his feet up this week.
He has withdrawn from the Compaq European Grand Prix at Slaley Hall which was to have acted as his warmup for the US Open at the Congressional Club starting on June 12th. Instead Clarke will rest at home in Port rush, leaving his clubs alone for a few days before going down to the beach and going though his usual repertoire of practice shots.
"I came into the week feeling mentally exhausted so I am delighted to finish where I did in the toughest conditions I have ever seen here," he said. Clarke was third last year at Gut Kaden, but he had to work doubly hard in the near galeforce wind of the final afternoon which had most of the field, McFarlane included, counting sixes and sevens. Only one golfer broke 70 and that was Spaniard Miguel Angel Martin who finished birdie eagle to tie fifth, and improve his own chances of a Ryder Cup debut.
Clarke was almost as impressive, getting home in 33 with birdies at the 12th, 16th and 17th, where he holed from 12 feet and got home in two huge woods. Afterwards be paid tribute to his Yorkshire caddie Bill Foster, a former fairway companion of Ryder Cup captain Seve Ballesteros.
"He kept me going when I could easily have given up," he said. "I was not playing well and a year ago I would have missed the cut."
Paul McGinley, who was in second place overnight, was among those who were knocked out of their stride by the wind, which came from all angles on the inward half. The Dubliner got off on the wrong foot by three putting the opening hole and was fighting an uphill battle when he took six at the fourth after tangling with the rough.
Out in 39, he ran up another double bogey at the 12th, but two late birdie fours at the 15th and 17th got him round in 74 for a three under par 285, and a share of fifth place. That was McGinley's best performance of the season, after two sixth places in Dubai and Cannes, and it won him £24,817.
Ronan Rafferty, the only other Irish qualifier, closed with a 76 for 290 to be joint 36th, and he won £4.950.
McFadane almost gave up the game four years ago when he slid to 137th in the 1993 season, principally because of persistent tendonitis in his left arm. "I even considered a new career in television or radio reporting," he said, but I decided to carry on because I always knew I was capable of winning a tournament.
"Now I am European Tournament players champion with a five year exemption that means I will be playing golf into the Millennium. It is a great feeling."
McFarlane secured his maiden victory with a trio of putts from 10 15 and 25 feet from the 11th that turned a two shot deficit on Gordon Brand Jnr into a twoshot lead. From then on he was the steadiest player on view.
