Darren Clarke talks 2006 Ryder Cup, Lee Westwood, Bethpage Black, more | Golf Central | Golf Channel

Listen to Darren Clarke’s full interview on Golf Central, where he discussed playing in the 2006 Ryder Cup. #GolfChannel #GolfCentral #RyderCup #DarrenClarke
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Darren Clarke talks 2006 Ryder Cup, Lee Westwood, Bethpage Black, more | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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>>> SHARP REPRESENTED EUROPE AS A PLAYER FIVE TIMES AT THE RYDER CUP, PERHAPS NEVER MORE MEMORABLY IN IRELAND IN 2006, JUST SIX WEEKS AFTER LOSING HIS WIFE HEATHER TO CANCER. HE WON ALL THREE OF HIS MATCHES THAT WEEK, INCLUDING A FOUR-BALL WIN WITH HIS PARTNER LEE WESTWOOD AGAINST TIGER WOODS AND JIM FURYK AND WENT ON TO BEAT ZACH JOHNSON IN THE SUNDAY SINGLES. 2006 WAS ONE OF FOUR TIMES THAT CLARK HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE VICTORIOUS RYDER CUP TEAM. OVERALL RECORD, 10-7-3, BUT HE REALLY STOOD OUT IN THOSE FOUR-BALL MATCHES GOING 6-2-1 IN HIS CAREER. HE KNOWS WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A CAPTAIN FOR AWAY RYDER CUP. I SPOKE WITH CLARKE EARLIER TODAY. DARREN, ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU. YOU’RE COMING OFF A THIRD PLACE FINISH ON THE CHAMPIONS TOUR YESTERDAY. I SEE YOU IS HAVE ALREADY TAKEN UP RESIDENCY AT THE BAHAMAS. HAVE THE CELEBRATIONS STARTED EARL LER? >> I DON’T NORMALLY CELEBRATE FINISHING THIRD, BUT ON THIS OCCASION, I HAVE MY BUDDIES HERE, MATT AND KEVIN, SO I WILL PROBABLY BE HAVING A FEW LITTLE LIBATIONS. >> WHEN I SAW YOU AT PORT RUSH DURING THE OPEN, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU PLAN TO SPEND THE WEEK OF THE RYDER CUP GLUED TO YOUR TELEVISION. WHY DOES IT MEAN SO MUCH TO YOU SO MANY YEARS ON? >> I DON’T KNOW. I THINK — YOU’RE RIGHT. YOU KNOW, I’LL BE FISHING QUITE A BIT THIS WEEK. SO I HAVE THIS WEEK OFF AND THEN NEXT WEEK I WILL SIT, LIKE ALL YOUR VIEWERS, IN FRONT OF THE TELEVISION AND I WILL NOT MOVE AND WATCH EVERY SHOT THAT I CAN POSSIBLY. FOR EUROPEAN, THE RYDER CUP IS EVERYTHING. YOU KNOW, WINNING INDIVIDUAL TOURNAMENTS ARE WONDERFUL. THEY’RE BRILLIANT AND THE BIGGER THE BETTER AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF. THE TEAM THING, I DON’T KNOW, IT JUST MEANS SO MUCH TO EUROPEANS THAT WHEN YOU DO IT AND YOU’RE PART OF IT, YOU CAN’T EXPLAIN IT. THE GREAT SAM ATTORNEYS SAID UNTIL YOU PLAY YOUR FIRST RYDER CUP, IT’S LIKE HAVING YOUR FIRST CHILD. YOU DON’T REALLY KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY DO IT. AND I WAS FORTUNATE TO PLAY THOSE TIMES YOU SAID AND BE INVOLVED AS A VICE CAPTAIN AND A CAPTAIN, WHICH WAS A HUGE HONOR. IT’S JUST SPECIAL. IT’S LIKE NOTHING ELSE WE DO. NOTHING. THERE’S NOTHING THAT COMES CLOSE TO PLAYING IN A RYDER CUP. >> YOU MENTIONED THE 2006 RYDER CUP AT THE K CLUB. I WITNESSED SOME PRETTY LOUD EVENTS. RORY WINNING THE CAREER GRAND SLAM, JACK’S FINAL PUTT IN AN OPEN AT ST. ANDREWS. I NEVER HEARD A NOISE AS LOUD AS YOU WERE ANNOUNCED ON THE 1st TEE AT THE K CLUB. WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE? >> IT WAS SURREAL. WITHOUT HEATHER HAVING PASSED AWAY SIX WEEKS PRIOR TO THAT, ONE OF HER DYING WISHES WAS IF I GOT A CALL HE ASKED ME TO PLAY, THAT SHE WANTED ME TO PLAY. AND THANKFULLY I GOT THE CALL AND I PLAYED. IT WAS OBVIOUSLY VERY EMOTIONAL. TIGER LOST HIS DAD AS WELL NOT MUCH BEFORE THAT. AND WE SAW EACH OTHER ON THE RANGE EARLIER THAT WEEK. IT WAS SPECIAL. I DID — IT WAS A MIXTURE — OBVIOUSLY IT’S A MIXTURE OF EMOTIONS. I DIDN’T KNOW HOW I WAS GOING TO PLAY. BUT THANKFULLY THE CAPTAIN WAS BRILLIANT WITH PLE. PUT ME WITH MY OLD STALLWORT, MR. WESTWOOD. THAT MADE THINGS SO MUCH EASIER FOR ME. WE TRAVELLED THE WORLD AND WE KNOW EACH OTHER INSIDE OUT AND WE’RE SUCH GOOD FRIENDS. I WAS MORE WORRIED ABOUT GOING THERE AND NOT PERFORMING TO NOT HELP MY TEAMMATES. IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE EAM. AND IF I DIDN’T THINK I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE, I WOULD HAVE POLITELY DECLINED THE INVITATION. BUT, I HAD THOSE CLOSE TO ME AT THE TIME, WERE TELLING ME, NO, YOU HAVE TO GO AND PLAY. I DID. I’M GLAD I DID. THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT THAT I FELT FROM NOT JUST THE IRISH CROWD THAT WEEK, YOU KNOW, THE AMERICANS. THE AMERICAN TEAM. EVERYBODY. STILL TOUCHES ME TO THIS MOMENT. YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT. THE RECEPTION THEY GAVE ME FOR, I DON’T KNOW, FEELING MY PAIN, WHATEVER IT WAS. BUT IT JUST WAS SO, SO SPECIAL. YOU’RE RIGHT. THE ROAR WAS HUGE. I STOOD ON THE 1st TEE. I PROMISE YOU, I DIDN’T KNOW IF I WAS GOING TO DUFF IT, TOP IT, SNAP IT 30 YARDS. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE EMOTIONS, WHAT I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO. AS IT TRANSPIRED HIT A 320, HOLED IT FROM 15 FEET FOR BIRDIE. THAT’S WHAT I WAS THERE TO DO. TRY TO HELP THE EUROPEAN TEAM. >> THAT WAS A HECK OF A STATEMENT ON THAT 1st HOLE OF THE RYDER CUP. 20 YEARS LATER YOU WERE IN THE POSITION TO MAKE THE KIND OF CALLS THAT IAN MADE TO YOU. YOU WERE A CAPTAIN FOR AN AWAY TEAM THAT PLAYED IN THE UNITED STATES. IS THAT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, DO YOU THINK, TO BE THE AWAY TEAM? OR THAT OVERSTATED SOMEWHAT? >> NO, IT’S MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO BE AN AWAY TEAM CAPTAIN. WE GOT COMPLETELY OUTPLAYED BY A VERY, VERY STRONG AMERICAN TEAM. DAVIS LOVE AND HIS TEAM PLAYED EXCEPTIONAL TEAM AND THEY WERE THE DESERVED WINNERS. THEY PLAYED WONDERFUL. IN HINDSIGHT YOU LOOK BACK AND SEE, COULD YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY? YES, YOU COULD. YOU ACTUALLY MAY HAVE DONE THAT. BUT THAT’S THE POISON OF BEING AN AWAY CAPTAIN. THE HOME CAPTAIN SETS UP THE GOLF COURSE THE WAY THAT WILL HELP THEIR TEAM BEST, THE WAY THEY SEE FIT. THE AWAY CAPTAIN DOESN’T HAVE A SAY. AND BUT THAT IN ITSELF, YOU’VE GOT SOME OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD GOING AGAINST EACH OTHER HEAD TO HEAD FOR 18 HOLES. ANYBODY CAN WIN THAT. THAT’S JUST THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. AND WHOEVER GETS THAT MOMENTUM AND HOLDS ON TO IT, USUALLY ARE GOING TO BE THE ONES THAT’S GOING TO WIN. MOMENTUM IS HUGE IN THE RYDER CUP. IT’S MASSIVE. AND YOU KNOW, THAT PARTICULAR WEEK WAS A TOUGH WEEK FOR US EUROPEANS. THE AMERICAN GUYS, AS I SAID, THEY PLAYED WONDERFULLY WELL. AND OBVIOUSLY WON. SO OU DO ALL YOUR PREP. YOU DO AS MUCH AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN. YOU PUT SO MUCH THOUGHT, ON WHAT EVERYBODY DOES. YOU PUT SO MUCH THOUGHT AND PREP INTO IT AND THEN YOU’RE EITHER A WONDERFUL CAPTAIN BECAUSE YOU WON OR AN AWFUL CAPTAIN BECAUSE YOU LOST. THAT’S PART OF THE WHOLE GIG. YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE JOHNSON GOT IN ROME WAS VERY UNFOUNDED. THE GUYS ARE GOING THERE TRYING AS HARD AS THEY CAN. THEY JUST — YOU DON’T WANT TO LOSE. YOU’RE PROUD PROFESSIONAL GOLFER. TO BE GIVEN THE HONOR OF BEING A RYDER CUP CAPTAIN MEANS YOU’VE ACHIEVED SOMETHING IN THE GAME. AS SUCH, YOU’RE A COMPETITOR AND YOU DON’T WANT TO LOSE. BUT UNFORTUNATELY ONE TEAM WILL PLAY GREAT AND THE OTHER TEAM IS MAYBE GOING TO PLAY GREAT BUT NOT JUST QUITE AS GOOD AS THE OTHER ONE. THE MARGINS ARE SO FINE. BUT IT SEEMS TO BE, SPECIALLY RECENT TIMES, THE HOME ADVANTAGE TURNS INTO A MASSIVE, A MASSIVE CHANGE IN THE RESULTS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE COMPETITIVE SIDE WITH THE HOME ADVANTAGE SEEMS TO BE MISSING MAYBE A LITTLE BIT. >> RORY TOLD THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER YESTERDAY THAT LUKE DONALD HAS GIVEN HIS TEAM VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSETS AND THEY’RE PIPING IN THE KIND OF ABUSE THAT HE THINKS THEY MIGHT GET FROM THE BETHPAGE FAN NEXT WEEK. WHAT WAS THE CROWD VIBE LIKE IN YOUR TIME PLAYING, DARREN? WAS IT AS BAD AS SOME PEOPLE HAVE SUGGESTED OVER THE YEARS? >> YOU KNOW, THE HOME SUPPORT IS A HUGE PART OF THE RYDER CUP. WE, AS PLAYERS AND CAPTAINS AND VICE CAPTAINS, KNOW WHAT IT’S GOING TO BE LIKE. IT’S PATRIOTIC. THEY WANT THEIR TEAM TO WIN. YOU KNOW, THE AMERICANS COME TO EUROPE AND ALL THE HOME PEOPLE ARE EUROPEANS ARE GOING THAT. WE GO TO AMERICA AND IT’S USA, USA, USA. THAT’S WHAT IT SHOULD BE. OCCASIONALLY IT CROSSES THE LINE. OCCASIONALLY IT GETS PERSONAL. MONTY GOT RIDICULOUS ABUSE AT BROOK LINE. IT WAS UNFAIR AND HARSH WITH WHAT HE GOT. BUT BEING AN AWAY TEAM, THAT’S PART OF IT. THAT’S WHY IT’S SO DIFFICULT — ANOTHER REASON WHY IT’S SO DIFFICULT TO WIN ON THE ROAD. YOU LOOK AT NEW YORKERS, THEIR FANS, THEY’RE PASSIONATE, THEY’RE SUPPORTIVE, THEY’RE LOUD. THAT’S WHAT THEY DO. AND BETHPAGE IS GOING TO BE THAT WAY. YOU KNOW, KEEGAN AND HIS TEAM ARE GOING TO BE DESPERATE TO TRY TO WIN THAT RYDER CUP BACK AGAIN. AND THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THAT HOME CROWD. NOW, IF THEY GET OFF TO A GREAT START, THEN BRILLIANT. IF THEY DON’T, THEN WE’LL SEE HOW THE CROWD REACTS. BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT’S HOME SUPPORT, THE 12th MAN, 13th MAN, WHATEVER WAY YOU WANT TO CALL IT, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. IT TRULY DOES. >> MONTY GOT A LOT OF ABUSE IN THE LOCKER ROOM AS WELL BUT MOST OF IT WAS FROM YOU AND WESTWOOD, FAIRLY GOOD NATURED. >> WESTY WAS AWFUL. >> WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE PLAYERS BEING MADE NOW ON THE AMERICAN SIDE, DARREN? DOES THAT SIT OKAY WITH YOU? >> NO. NO. 100% THAT DOES NOT SIT WELL WITH ME. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ASK ANY OF THOSE GUYS, NOT EUROPEAN TEAM, WOULD THEY ACCEPT MONEY? EVERYONE TO A TEE WOULD SAY NO. IT’S NOT ABOUT MONEY. THAT’S NOT WHAT THE RYDER CUP IS ABOUT. THE RYDER CUP WAS NEVER ABOUT MONEY. THE AMERICANS ARE GETTING HALF MILLION DOLLARS EACH FOR IT, 200 GRAND OF A STIPEND AND $300,000 TO EITHER GIVE TO CHARITY OR KEEP THEMSELVES. HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IS BY ANYBODY’S TERMS THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY. THE EUROPEANS WOULD LIVE AND DIE JUST TO MAKE THE TEAM. I THINK IF YOU GOOGLE IT, LOOK AT MATT WALLACE’S REACTION WHEN EVER HE JUST MISSED OUT, KNOWING HE WAS GOING TO MISS OUT AFTER SWITZERLAND, THAT TELLS YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO EUROPEANS TO MAKE THE TEAM. I’M NOT DEMEANING ANY OF THE AMERICANS FOR, YOU KNOW, THE DISAPPOINTMENT NOT MAKING THE TEAM OR WHATEVER. BUT, THE MONEY JUST DOESN’T SIT RIGHT WITH ME. THAT’S CERTAINLY, AS A EUROPEAN PLAYER, WHEN ASKED ABOUT MONEY, THAT DOES NOT COME INTO THE EQUATION. MAYBE THAT’S WHY THEY’RE MORE OF A TEAM. MAYBE THEY PULL SO HARD FOR EACH OTHER THAT THE MONEY IS NOT — THAT’S COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT TO WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. >> AND OF COURSE THIS IS THE SAME TEAM FOR THE MOST PART, ACTUALLY GENETICALLY THE EXACT SAME TEAM THAT LUKE HAD TWO YEARS AGO IN ROME. DO YOU THINK IT’S A TOUGHER CHALLENGE FOR LUKE AS A CAPTAIN THIS TIME AROUND BECAUSE HE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL PLAY BOOK THAT CLEARLY WORKED TWO YEARS AGO. HOW MUCH ADJUSTMENT DOES HE NEED TO MAKE JUST TO THROW KEEGAN BRADLEY OFF THE SCENT BEFORE HE SENDS HIS LINEUP OUT NEXT WEEK? >> YEAH. I DON’T KNOW — I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH OF AN ADJUSTMENT HE CAN MAKE. BECAUSE IF YOU TAKE A LOOK, EVERYBODY THAT’S OBVIOUSLY FOLLOWING THAT RYDER CUP, THEY WERE SO GOOD IN ROME, IT’S VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE OFF THAT PLAY BOOK. DOES HE WANT TO THROW KEEGAN A CURVEBALL? I DON’T KNOW. THAT’S UP TO HIM. BUT THE WAY THE GUYS PLAYED THE LAST TIME, WHY WOULD YOU THROW A CURVEBALL? YOU KNOW, I THINK — JUST HEARD THE END OF LAST SEGMENT TALKING ABOUT HOW DEEP THE EUROPEANS ARE. THEY REALLY ARE. THIS IS PROBABLY — I DON’T KNOW, MAYBE AS DEEP AND AS STRONG EUROPEAN TEAM THAT’S EVER BEEN GOING OVER TO AMERICA TO REPRESENT EUROPE. AND I’M GOING LOOKING AT THE LIKES OF SEVI AND BERNHARD AND ALL THOSE TEAMS. BUT THIS TEAM RIGHT NOW, LED BY RORY, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE PRETTY GOOD. TOMMY FLEETWOOD WIN THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP. SOMEBODY WHO WON OUR PGA, ALEX NOREN AND HE’S NOT ON THE TEAM. BUT BY HIS OWN ADMISSION SAID HE WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE THE TEAM, DIDN’T PLAY WELL ENOUGH AT THE RIGHT TIME. BUT THIS TEAM IS A VERY STRONG, A VERY DEEP EUROPEAN TEAM. SO, YOU KNOW, AND THE BIG DIFFERENCE HERE IS THAT THE EXPERIENCE, THE BEEN THERE AND DONE IT BEFORE. IT’S NOT A EUROPEAN TEAM THAT’S GONE TO AMERICA WITH A LOT OF ROOKIES ON THE TEAM, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT. AN AWAY GAME IS A TOUGH GAME FOR A ROOKIE. IT’S A TOUGH GAME FOR ROOKIE AT HOME BUT HARDER WITH A TOUGH GAME AWAY. EUROPE HAVE GOT THE LUXURY OF ONLY ONE. SO, THIS IS A DEEP EUROPEAN TEAM. AND I’LL EXPECT THEM TO BE VERY, VERY STRONG AT BETHPAGE. >> HE IS DARREN CLARKE. GIVE HIM HIS FULL CORRECT ROYAL TITLE AS CONFERRED UPON HIM. >> I DIDN’T THINK YOU WOULD EVER SAY THAT. I’M SO — LET ME JUST HAVE A LITTLE SIP OF MY DC BREEZE TO CELEBRATE THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> I HOPE THAT’S ALL JUST GRAPEFRUIT