Darren Clarke can be counted among those within professional golf who are the most delighted by the stirring showing of Tiger Woods at the Masters. Clarke may also be the least surprised.
Clarke and Woods have a long-time alliance, as highlighted again when the 14-times major winner took to the Augusta National course on Monday. On the short game area, Woods made straight for the Northern Irishman, whom he afforded a warm embrace.
This is far from an isolated incident; during his run to a belated Open Championship triumph in 2011, Clarke was the recipient of words of encouragement and advice from Woods. Needless to say, this isn’t an approach Woods uses towards many in professional golfing circles.
As Clarke stepped from the course on Sunday, his 72 ensuring a credible aggregate of six over par, attention inevitably turned back towards Woods. The 39-year-old’s renaissance here will inevitably be remembered as one of the key aspects of the first major of 2015.
“He has been absolutely brilliant,” Clarke said. “I think that both for the game of golf standpoint and being a mate of mine standpoint. I think he has been great.
“Tiger has had a career where he’s been questioned and doubted many, many times. There’s a reason why he was the best player in the world for a very long time and it’s great to see him coming back and playing.
“The game, the game, our professional sport is a better game for having a Tiger Woods playing well in it. I think you would all agree with that.”
The reason for Clarke predicting this Woods comeback is simple. “He is that good.”
Chris Di Marco, who knows what it is like to suffer at the hands of Woods, was similarly upbeat about this revival. Di Marco finished second to Woods after a play-off at Augusta in 2005, with the pair also competing together for the United States in the Ryder Cup.
“It’s great to see Tiger back doing fist pumps,” Di Marco said. “We’ve not seen it in a while and I love that it’s back. The Tiger Woods we’ve seen for the last eight or nine months is not the one we’re used to seeing but he’s back playing good golf again. His pitching is back as the strength of his game again.
“If you’d asked me before this week about him being a contender in the other three majors this season, then I’d have said ‘no’. But I’ve changed my mind based on what I’ve seen this week. I’ve gone full circle; he has proved everybody wrong.”
Aside from Clarke, that is, who also maintained his belief that Rory McIlroy will claim the career grand slam of majors which has, in recent days, eluded him.
“He hasn’t quite been on his game this week I don’t think, I haven’t seen an awful lot of it,” Clarke added. “But Rory’s Rory. He can win anywhere, any time, any week. I still believe his game is perfect for here and he will win here.”
In respect of his own game, Clarke’s Augusta placing was damaged by a third round of 77. And yet he appears content, perhaps with the responsibility of Ryder Cup duties bringing a sense of freshness and responsibility to his professional life.
“Invariably in the past, whenever I played my own best golf it’s when I haven’t really cared about it,” Clarke explained. “Which is very difficult for me, to clear my mind like that. But when I do, I tend to enjoy it a little bit more.
“Certainly I’ve got other things maybe a little bit more important than my own golf. Don’t get me wrong, I still want to compete, I still want to play, but the Ryder Cup is obviously at the forefront of it all. I’m very happy with the way I’m hitting the ball, I really am. I want to keep playing.”
Clarke’s poor Saturday was in contrast to his playing partner, Ian Poulter. The Englishman carded 67, a timely score given the company.
“I’m not going to comment on that sort of stuff,” said Clarke when asked if this represented an early Ryder Cup statement of intent from Poulter.
“It’s a far, far cry from that yet. But as I told you guys yesterday, I was delighted to see him play as well as he played.
“That was the best I’ve ever seen him play. He was very, very impressive yesterday. And it’s great to see. The more guys that play well, the easier my perspective job becomes.
“I would imagine looking at the team that was at Gleneagles, the majority of those guys I would expect to be very close to making the team again. So, experience is obviously key.”
