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DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH OPEN HOSTED BY THE RORY FOUNDATIONMay 31, 2015Darren ClarkeNEWCASTLE, NORTHERN IRELAND Q. Frustrated yesterday with your putting, how was today? DARREN CLARKE: A little bit better but still not great. I wasted a few 3‑putts again today. My speed has been poor all week, all week, and you can't‑‑ to play in tough conditions like this, your speed is around. It's got to be good. I was able to leave them ten feet short not 15 foot past, didn't have any feel on the greens at all. Q. How do you think this week has gone establishing The Irish Open as a big event on the European schedule? DARREN CLARKE: I think the field here says everything that Rory has assembled and got here. The golf course that we have had this week, obviously you can see from the scores, it's been a tough test; fair, but very, very tough. The guys are going to find it difficult today. You're going to see some strange ones out there today but I think it's been great. It's getting back to where The Irish Open should be. Q. And away from the golf here, The Ryder Cup captaincy, the early days, how has that been? DARREN CLARKE: Getting busy, more and more commitments, nothing too chaotic. Got Scott here trying to keep me on the straight and narrow. Going to get busy. Q. Sum up today for us, first of all. DARREN CLARKE: Tough, hard, really hard out there. A few of the holes are verging on unplayable because of the wind but that's links golf and that's what it is. It's a very, very tough golf course out there. Q. Overall, can you reflect on how successful you think this tournament has been this week? DARREN CLARKE: I think playing on one of the best golf courses in tough conditions‑‑ I think a lot of the guys, we were all hoping for better weather conditions but the course is still very playable. It's going to be really tough. Q. Tee‑to‑green, you're playing superbly. How close do you think you are of absolutely ticking? DARREN CLARKE: Not far away but my speed is improving. Can't afford to waste stuff and that's what I'm doing. An awful lot of really good golf and ball‑striking, and I'm just not quite turning that into scores. A lot of work to do on my putting. Practice a little bit and hopefully find a little rhythm and get a better roll. Q. The weather has been very challenging this week. Do you think this tournament is played at the right time of the year? Would you like to see it moved closer to The Open Championship? DARREN CLARKE: Well, that's easier said than done. The European Tour have a very difficult time in terms of scheduling in terms of what they have had to do. We've had The Irish Open at a later date and now we're here. It's unfortunate this week. As you know we don't always get bad weather here at this time of the year. It's just been a tough week. As long as the tournament keeps going in the right direction and I think with Rory's backing and Rory's foundation backing, I think it's getting the tournament to where it should be. Q. Links this week; looks like parkland for the first two years, K Club followed by Lough Erne, does that disappoint you? Would you like to see The Irish Open on a links course? DARREN CLARKE: They are both fantastic venues. When you have a test like this, proper links golf‑‑ certainly I would love to keep on playing on a links course but that's not taking away from either of the other two. I'm happy to go play The Irish Open wherever it's going to be. Rory has assembled a great field, and long may it continue. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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