Darren Clarke returns for Smurfit European Open
IN: News | European PGA | Smurfit European Open (2005) | General | 26 Jun 2005
Darren Clarke is to return to golf after three weeks helping his wife Heather through her recent illness. Ryder Cup player Clarke, who withdrew from the BMW Championship at Wentworth Club after the second round and missed last week's US Open Championship, has entered the Smurfit European Open at The K Club in Straffan, Co. Kildare from June 30 - July 3.
"Heather is thankfully out of hospital now and her progress is such that we felt the time was right for me to return," said Clarke.
"Heather has been boosted by get-well cards and messages of support plus the wonderful care and attention received at The Royal Brompton Hospital. We can't thank everybody enough," he added.
Clarke has not mapped out a long-term schedule and will continue to assess the situation on a weekly basis. "It will be good to get back, and particularly in Ireland at a course and tournament I have always enjoyed playing," he said.
The K Club has been a happy hunting ground for Clarke, who established the course record of 60 in 1999, then became the first Irishman to win on home soil since 1982 when he captured the title two years later.
Clarke joins fellow Irish Ryder Cup heroes, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley, in the 2005 event, which affords one final opportunity for potential Ryder Cup players to play The K Club's Palmer Course before it stages the biennial event in September 2006.
Both Captains - Ian Woosnam and Tom Lehman - will also be in Co. Kildare to play in this season's £2.3 million event and assess the course which has hosted nine of the previous ten editions of the Smurfit European Open.
Also ensured of strong support from the Irish galleries are home players Stephen Browne, David Higgins, Peter Lawrie, Conor Mallon, Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, Damien McGrane, Damien Mooney, Colm Moriarty, Gary Murphy and another Ryder Cup winner, Philip Walton.
Source - European Tour
