Clarke targets two more titles to clinch Ryder Cup place

Published on Wednesday 14 May 2008 23:24

DARREN Clarke has set his sights on winning twice more in the Ryder Cup qualifying race – and this week's Irish Open at Adare Manor will do nicely for one of them, writes Mark Garrod.

Defending champion Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood, both looking to bounce straight back from missing the cut at the Players Championship, are the two favourites. But Clarke's confidence remains high three weeks after his first European Tour victory for almost five years at the Asian Open in Shanghai.

It is now 21 months since the 39-year-old Ulsterman's wife, Heather, died of breast cancer and it was no surprise his career spiralled downwards after that. "Being a single parent has taken a while to get used to," said the father-of-two. "It's definitely been a different experience, to say the least, looking after the boys, making all the decisions myself.

"There were a few times last year where I was going back to venues where I remembered Heather and I used to stay. I couldn't quite focus on what I was trying to do."

Harrington has decided to miss next week's BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour's flagship event, at Wentworth because it does not fit in with his build-up to the US Open.