Sport

Clarke gets invitation to Masters

Darren Clarke has realised a boyhood dream by receiving an invitation to next season's US Masters on April 9th to 12th

By DERMOT GILLEECE
Fri Dec 19 1997 - 00:00

Darren Clarke has realised a boyhood dream by receiving an invitation to next season's US Masters on April 9th to 12th. He becomes only the sixth Irishman to be so honoured and the first since David Feherty was tied 52nd in 1992.

Clarke, fourth in the European Order of Merit in the season recently ended, will join Lee Westwood, who is also handled by Andrew Chandler's International Sports Management. Westwood made an impressive Augusta debut last year when he was tied 24th behind Tiger Woods.

"This is a boyhood dream come true," said Clarke yesterday. "I've always watched the Masters on TV and now I'm going to be a part of the magic. I can't wait for April and I hope Lee will show me a thing or two about the course."

The invitation means that Clarke will emulate Ronan Rafferty and Feherty next season by playing all of the four major championships. It also means that Augusta officials were impressed by his share of second place behind Justin Leonard in the British Open last July.

READ MORE

Joe Carr was the first Irishman to play in the US Masters. On his debut in 1967, he finished 55th and he made the cut again the following year, finishing 52nd. His last appearance was in 1969 when he missed the cut.

Since then, Christy O'Connor Jnr played in 1977, when he missed the cut, and Garth McGimpsey also failed to make the weekend when he competed in 1986 and 1987 as a reward for his British Amateur victory of 1985. The highest finish by an Irishman was when Rafferty was tied 14th behind Nick Faldo in 1990.

Between 1955 and 1973, Christy O'Connor Snr regularly received invitations to compete in the Masters, but he always declined, because a trip to the US at that time of year simply didn't make financial sense. Now, an appearance there is one of the most prized goals of a tournament professional.

Payne Stewart salvaged a three-under-par 69 to be one behind leader Lucas Parsons after the opening round of the £130,000 Coolum Classic, north of Brisbane, Australia, yesterday.

Former British Open champion Ian Baker-Finch provided some early drama by deliberately disqualifying himself midway through his round when he was six over par.