Darren Clarke insists Open Championship 'has always been a special tournament for me'
Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke feels The Open Championship is still “the biggest and best tournament in the world” with memories of practicing to become a Champion Golfer at home in Dungannon as a child flooding back.
Clarke finished inside The Open’s top-10 on three occasions, including tied-second in 1997 behind Justin Leonard, before winning his sole major championship at Royal St George's in 2011.
His success continued what was a golden period of Northern Irish golfing success with Graeme McDowell claiming US Open glory the previous year while Rory McIlroy picked up a maiden major one month before Clarke.
Clarke continues to ply his trade on PGA Tour Champions – which is open to players aged 50 or over – and will tee off his 34th Open campaign at Royal Birkdale on Thursday.
The 57-year-old starts his opening round at 12:47pm alongside Adrien Saddier and Bernd Wiesberger.
As a youngster growing up in Co Tyrone, Clarke admits he would often dream about winning The Open and insists his love for the tournament is still very much alive.
"The Open Championship to me, being Irish and from that part of the world, is the biggest and best tournament in the world,” he told the PGA Champions Tour’s social media platforms. “”We have all the other special majors, but The Open is the one when I was a young kid practicing in Dungannon thinking ‘this five-footer is to win The Open’.
"It was never to win The Masters, US Open or US PGA, it was always to win The Open, and it has always been a special tournament for me.
"I had chances to win before and could never quite do it, but I managed to get over the line in 2011.
"My replica Claret Jug sits in Royal Portrush Golf Club on the way in.
"If I had it at home it would be in a drawer somewhere, it wouldn’t be out, so it is in a cabinet in Royal Portrush so when the visitors walk in they can see it.
"The Claret Jug is there and then the Senior Open Jug is sitting right beside it, so that’s a pretty cool thing when I do go back to Royal Portrush and see them both sitting there.”