Clarke backs “conundrum” McIlroy as he contemplates saying goodbye to The Open at Royal Portrush
TROON, SCOTLAND - JULY 16: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland talk during a practice round prior to The 152nd Open championship at Royal Troon on July 16, 2024 in Troon, Scotland. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
Darren Clarke is contemplating saying goodbye to The Open at Royal Portrush next year but he also expects the “conundrum” that is Rory McIlroy to be a factor on home soil.
McIlroy missed the cut at Royal Troon and admitted he simply wasn’t able to handle the wind.
And Clarke, who was surprised to see the Holywood star struggle, admitted the world number two is a complete “conundrum” given his talent.
“Rory's got every shot so of course he is capable of playing links golf in the wind,” Clarke said after closing with a 75 alongside fellow Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin to finish tied 76th on 16-over.
“I played with Rory and Tom and Matt Wallace on Tuesday and in all my years, it's the best I've ever seen a golf ball being struck. In all my years, I've never seen it compressed and hit with that ball flight.
“He's a conundrum because he has God-given town pouring out of him. You know, you're Irish. You want to see him do everything. We all support him.
“You just want to see him win what we think he deserves to win. And, he deserves more. So we shall see.”
As for his thoughts of saying goodbye to The Open at Royal Portrush next year, Clarke said: “Yes, I made the cut here, and if I make the cut in Portrush, it will be great and all that sort of stuff.
TROON, SCOTLAND - JULY 16: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walks on course with Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland during a practice round prior to The 152nd Open championship at Royal Troon on July 16, 2024 in Troon, Scotland. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
“But I've got my name on the Jug, and I have my name on the Senior Jug, and I would feel bad taking the spot away from a young kid.
“I was a young kid once, so to take a spot away from a young kid who may fulfil his dream of playing the Championship, sure, I've done mine. I don't know what I will do.
“Royal Portrush, as we all know, is very special. The guys all loved it the last time we were there.
“I think the golf course is going to present a very fair challenge as it did the last time. And I think Rors will be looking to do a bit better than he did the last time too. It will be exciting to get to get back to Portrush again. Just brilliant.
“But I've been thinking about it quite a lot. I'm 55 now, and I'll be 56 next year for the Open at Portrush and it may be my last one and thank you very much, that's enough for me and I can give some young kid an opportunity that I had whenever I was starting off.
“So we shall see, but I am certainly looking forward to being back in Portrush.”
Clarke was delighted to play all four rounds at Royal Troon and was seriously impressed by McKibbin (21), who has now made the cut in his first two majors.
The Newtownabbey star closed with a 74 to finish tied 67th on 12-over, having tied for 41st on his debut in last month’s US Open.
“Yeah, brilliant,” Clarke said of McKibbin. “Tom's got a huge future. I played a practice round with him and Rory, and we're sitting in there afterwards, and I said, 'Tom, just you remember down the line at some stage, sitting in here and having this conversation. This is my 32nd Open and it's your first’.
"So he's a great young kid. I'm going to spend a lot of time with him trying to tighten up a few bits and pieces, but he's got a huge future. Huge.”
McKibbin, who looks likely to win his PGA TOUR card via the Race to Dubai, was not doing cartwheels over his performance at Troon.
"Yeah, very average probably,” he said after rounds of 73, 72, 77 and 74. “I was all right. Two good rounds, a decent round and a pretty terrible round, but overall it was all right.”
Pleased to make the cut in his first two majors, he said: “I think I said a couple of months ago if I've played in the last two majors and made both cuts, I would have taken it.
TROON, SCOTLAND - JULY 18: Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland tees off on the first hole on day one of The 152nd Open championship at Royal Troon on July 18, 2024 in Troon, Scotland. (Photo by Stuart Kerr/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
“Just a little bit disappointed with this week after the good first two days. Yesterday sort of killed me a little bit. But overall it was a good week, and I think you learn a lot more playing in these events than you do any others, so it was good.
“It was very hard today. The first nine holes it was so windy, straight off the right and it was so hard. If you had any curve on the ball, it got so exposed.
“Even today there was no rain, but the wind is very, very strong, so it would make a good day of watching this afternoon.”
As for playing with Clarke on Tuesday and in the final round, he was pleased to learn “a little bit”.
“Darren’s win in 2011 was the first Open that I watched on TV,” he said.
Asked what he learned, he said: “I was inside the top 30 after two rounds and then yesterday was just really difficult in that weather.
"I think it's just one of those weeks that you just have to be very on your game and hit a lot of high-quality shots, that's all. Just hitting more high-quality shots.”
Set to return to action in the Czech Masters next month, he’s not putting himself under pressure to win a PGA Tour card.
“Obviously I'd like to get one and want to get one, but I'm not going to put too much pressure on myself to get one,” he said.
“If I play good golf, hopefully by the end of the year I can have one. But I’m just trying to concentrate on
playing good and hitting good shots. That's all I can do.”
