Darren Clarke: Being Open Champion means more than the money
Darren Clarke, winner of the 2011 Open Championship, admitted that having his name engraved on the Claret Jug was priceless.
The Open Champion banked on a total of £900,000 and sponsorship bonuses of more than £2-million alongside 600 FedEx points after his triumph at the British Open. The overall earnings shot him to the 30th
spot on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).
Regardless of all these monetary rewards, Clarke is pleased with the feeling of holding the trophy in his hand and reading his name on it.
“You cannot put a value on this. For all my golfing career, to get my name on this trophy means more than anything. I'm fortunate that it will benefit me hugely financially. But it means more to have my name on there. And what's most important is, when I
get home maybe later today, I'll have my boys look at their dad's name on the trophy,” said Clarke.
The 42-year-old told the press that he had been trying hard for 20 years to become an Open champion and when he earned the title, he could not sleep for two nights.
“It's wonderful. I've looked at the trophy all night and sort of semi-figured out it's mine. But it hasn't quite sunk in just yet,” he added.
Clarke has been celebrating his triumph with his family and his two sons, Tyrone and Conor, who watched his game live on television. Clarke added that he was extremely happy for being able to share his achievement with them.
However, he missed the mother of his children, Heather, who passed away due to breast cancer some five years ago. Clarke told the press that his wife would reassure him regarding the fulfillment of his dream of becoming an Open Champion.
Clarke rejoiced at the feeling that after a struggle of twenty years, he had finally accomplished what he had struggled for. The Northern Irishman shot rounds of 68, 68, 69 and 70 to take a three-stroke win over Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.
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