1. Overview
Darren Christopher Clarke (born August 14, 1968) is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who has achieved significant success on both the European Tour and PGA Tour, and currently competes on the PGA Tour Champions. His career-defining moment came in 2011 when he won The Open Championship, his first major championship title after more than two decades as a professional. Clarke is also notable for his two victories in the World Golf Championship events, including a prominent win against Tiger Woods in 2000. Known for his resilient spirit, he famously contributed to Europe's Ryder Cup victory in 2006, just weeks after the death of his first wife, Heather. He later captained the European Ryder Cup team in 2016 and has continued his winning ways on the senior tours, including a senior major championship title.
2. Early life and amateur career
Darren Clarke's formative years were spent developing his golf skills, which led him to a successful amateur career before turning professional.
2.1. Childhood and education
Darren Clarke was born on August 14, 1968, in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He developed his early golf skills as a junior member of the Dungannon Golf Club, a junior section that also produced other future PGA Golf Professionals such as Alistair Cardwell, Barry Hamill, and Gary Chambers. Clarke represented his school, Royal School Dungannon, alongside Cardwell and Chambers. In 1987, he moved to the United States to play collegiate golf at Wake Forest University.
2.2. Amateur career
As an amateur golfer, Clarke achieved several notable victories. In 1989, he won the East of Ireland Championship. The following year, 1990, proved particularly successful as he secured victories in the Spanish International Amateur Championship, the Irish Amateur Close Championship, the South of Ireland Championship, and the North of Ireland Amateur Championship. Clarke also represented Ireland in team competitions, participating in the European Amateur Team Championship in 1989. In 1990, he was part of the Great Britain and Ireland team that won the St Andrews Trophy.
3. Professional career
Darren Clarke's professional career spans several decades, marked by major victories, personal challenges, and significant comebacks on various global golf tours.
3.1. Early professional years and first wins (1990-1999)
Clarke turned professional in 1990 and embarked on his first full season on the European Tour in 1991. That same year, he made his debut in a major championship at the 1991 Open Championship, successfully making the cut and finishing tied for 64th place. In 1992, he had a solid season on the European Tour, finishing 41st in the Order of Merit and achieving his highest finish at the time with a second-place result at the Honda Open, three strokes behind Bernhard Langer.
His breakthrough year came in 1993 when he secured his maiden European Tour victory at the Alfred Dunhill Open in Belgium. After leading by two strokes going into the final round, Clarke held off challenges from Nick Faldo and Vijay Singh, who shot a final-round 64, to win by two strokes. He finished 8th on the Order of Merit that year, having made 24 out of 30 cuts and recording seven top-10 finishes. A month later, he narrowly missed a second title at the Volvo Masters, finishing one stroke behind Colin Montgomerie.
In 1994, Clarke continued his steady progress, making 17 of 21 cuts and finishing 37th on the Order of Merit. He also made his first appearance at the U.S. Open but missed the cut, while achieving a then-career-best tie for 38th place at The Open Championship. The 1995 season saw further improvement with seven top-10 finishes in 27 events, most notably a second-place finish at the Portuguese Open, where he lost a sudden-death playoff to Adam Hunter on the first extra hole despite sharing the 54-hole lead. He ended 1995 ranked 14th on the Order of Merit.
Clarke secured his second European Tour title in 1996 at the Linde German Masters, carding a final round of 63 to finish 24 under par and win by one stroke over Mike Davis. He also recorded his best major finish at the time, tying for 11th at The Open Championship, and equaled his best Order of Merit finish at 8th place.
In May 1997, he finished second at the Volvo PGA Championship, two strokes behind Ian Woosnam. In July of the same year, Clarke was in contention to win his first major at the 1997 Open Championship at Royal Troon. He co-led after the first round and then established a two-stroke lead after a second-round 66. However, a third-round 71 placed him two strokes behind leader Jesper Parnevik entering the final day. Ultimately, Justin Leonard's strong final round of 65 surpassed both Clarke and Parnevik, with Clarke finishing three strokes back. He concluded the season 4th on the Order of Merit.
The year 1998 saw Clarke make his debut at two major global golf events. While he missed the cut at The Players Championship, his first appearance at the Masters Tournament was more successful, finishing in a tie for 8th, which remains his highest finish at Augusta to date. In May 1998, Clarke won his third European Tour event at the Benson & Hedges International Open by three strokes over Santiago Luna. He followed this with three more second-place finishes before winning the season-ending Volvo Masters in Spain. These two victories helped him to a second-place finish on the 1998 Order of Merit, behind Colin Montgomerie. In 1999, Clarke claimed his fifth European Tour title at the Compass Group English Open, finishing two strokes ahead of John Bickerton. He also achieved his highest-ever finish at the U.S. Open that year, tying for 10th place.
3.2. World Golf Championship successes (2000-2003)
Clarke's global prominence soared in 2000 when he won his first World Golf Championship event, defeating Tiger Woods 4 and 3 in the final of the 2000 WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship at La Costa Resort and Spa. This marked the biggest victory of his career at that point, earning him 1.00 M USD. His path to victory involved defeating a formidable line-up of players, including Paul Azinger, Mark O'Meara, Thomas Bjørn, Hal Sutton, and David Duval, before facing Woods.
His successful year continued as he finished tied for second at the Volvo PGA Championship, and the following week, he secured his seventh European Tour title at the Compass Group English Open. Clarke also achieved his best finish at the PGA Championship, tying for 9th place. With three second-place finishes and eleven top-10 results, he ended the 2000 season second on the Order of Merit, earning over 2.70 M EUR in prize money, his highest season earnings to date.
In 2001, Clarke finished 3rd on the Order of Merit. He added to his European Tour victories by winning the Smurfit European Open by three strokes at The K Club. A few weeks later, he delivered another strong performance at The Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes, tying for 3rd place, four strokes behind winner David Duval. He also finished 3rd at the WGC-NEC Invitational, earning over 400.00 K EUR.
In 2002, playing on both the European and PGA Tours, Clarke finished second behind Vijay Singh at the Shell Houston Open. He later won his ninth career European Tour title at the Compass Group English Open, becoming the first golfer to win the tournament three times.
In the 2003 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Clarke reached the quarter-finals before losing to Peter Lonard. However, he soon achieved more WGC success, winning his second WGC event at the WGC-NEC Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. He finished four strokes ahead of Jonathan Kaye. This period of success from 2001 to 2003 saw Clarke miss only three cuts on the European Tour, culminating in his third career second-place finish on the European Order of Merit.
3.3. Personal challenges and comeback (2004-2010)
Clarke continued his strong performance at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in 2004, finishing third after losing to Davis Love III in the semi-final on the 21st hole, but then defeating Stephen Leaney 2-up in the third-place playoff. He also tied for 4th place at the WGC-American Express Championship. Despite earning over 2.00 M USD in prize money, 2004 marked his first winless season on either tour since 1997.
The 2005 season saw Clarke split his time between the European and PGA Tours. He had a consistent year with many top-10 finishes but couldn't secure a victory. His notable performances included second-place finishes at the Barclays Scottish Open in Europe and the MCI Heritage in the United States. Due to playing fewer tournaments on the European Tour, he finished 20th on the Order of Merit, a decline from his previous top rankings.
In 2006, Clarke managed only four top-10 finishes and ended the year 43rd on the Order of Merit. However, a profoundly emotional moment occurred just six weeks after the death of his wife, Heather. Despite his grief, he made a significant contribution to Europe's 2006 Ryder Cup victory at The K Club in Ireland. Heather had loved the Ryder Cup and encouraged him to play. European captain Ian Woosnam selected Clarke as one of his two wild card picks, and Clarke earned three points from three matches, including a 3 & 2 win in his singles match against Zach Johnson. His performance was met with embraces from both European and U.S. team members. The 2007 season proved to be the toughest of Clarke's professional career; he failed to record any top-10 finishes, withdrew from several events, and ended 143rd on the Order of Merit.
Clarke ended his nearly five-year winless streak in April 2008 by winning the BMW Asian Open in an emotional victory, securing a birdie on the 72nd hole to defeat Robert-Jan Derksen by one stroke. This was his 11th career win and signaled a strong return to form. His 12th victory followed swiftly in August at the KLM Open in the Netherlands, where he finished four shots ahead of Paul McGinley. Clarke concluded his comeback year 13th in the Order of Merit, though he missed out on a spot in Nick Faldo's Ryder Cup team, marking the first time in over a decade that he wasn't selected.
The 2009 and 2010 seasons saw Clarke continue to rebuild his form with consistent play. In 2009, he recorded three top-10 finishes, including tying for 5th in defense of his KLM Open title. He narrowly missed a spot in the season-ending Race to Dubai finals, finishing 61st. However, in 2010, he qualified for the Dubai Finals, ending the year 30th on the money list. This was aided by two second-place finishes, one at the Joburg Open behind Charl Schwartzel and another at the Barclays Scottish Open, where he finished three strokes behind Edoardo Molinari.
3.4. Open Championship victory and later career (2011-present)
In 2011, Clarke secured his first European Tour title since August 2008 with a three-stroke victory over Chris Wood and David Lynn at the Iberdrola Open. Later that year, at the age of 42, Clarke achieved his long-awaited first major championship victory at the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St George's. This win came on his 20th attempt at lifting the Claret Jug and his 54th attempt at a major championship overall, following a previous tie for 3rd at the 2001 Open Championship.
Clarke dedicated his triumph to his two children and his late wife, Heather, who had died of breast cancer in 2006. He expressed his belief that she would be proud of him and, more importantly, of their sons watching at home, reflecting on the long journey he had taken to reach that moment. His victory at Royal St George's marked a historic moment, as it was the first time since 1910 that a country other than the United States had different golfers win consecutive major championships. This followed Rory McIlroy, also from Northern Ireland, winning the 2011 U.S. Open title just one month prior. Clarke's win meant that Northern Ireland had produced three major winners in 13 months, with Graeme McDowell winning the 2010 U.S. Open before McIlroy and Clarke. This prompted McIlroy to famously quip that Northern Ireland had become the 'Golf Capital of the World'.
Following his Open Championship victory, Clarke transitioned to senior golf circuits. In November 2020, he claimed his first victory on the PGA Tour Champions at the TimberTech Championship in Boca Raton, Florida, marking his first worldwide win since the 2011 Open Championship. Just three months later, he secured his second senior tour win at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Hawaii. In September 2021, Clarke won the Sanford International in a playoff against K. J. Choi and Steve Flesch. In July 2022, Clarke won his first senior major championship at The Senior Open Championship, played at Gleneagles in Scotland. He won by one stroke over Pádraig Harrington, becoming only the fourth player in history to win both The Open Championship and The Senior Open Championship.
4. Team and representative appearances
Darren Clarke has a distinguished record in team golf, representing Ireland as an amateur and Europe as a professional in various prestigious competitions.
4.1. Ryder Cup
Clarke has been a prominent figure in the Ryder Cup, representing Europe as a player on five consecutive teams from 1997 to 2006. He was part of four victorious European teams during this period (1997, 2002, 2004, 2006). His overall Ryder Cup playing record stands at 20 matches played, earning 11.5 points. This includes a format-specific record of 1 win, 2 losses, and 2 halves in singles matches (2 points); 3 wins and 3 losses in foursomes matches (3 points); and 6 wins, 2 losses, and 1 half in fourballs matches (6.5 points).
Clarke's participation in the 2006 Ryder Cup was particularly poignant, occurring just six weeks after the death of his wife, Heather. Despite his profound personal loss, he chose to make himself available for selection, knowing Heather's deep affection for the event. European captain Ian Woosnam selected Clarke as a wild card pick, and Clarke contributed three crucial points from three matches to Europe's dominant victory. His emotional performances and the embrace he received from both European and U.S. team members after the tournament became one of the most memorable moments in Ryder Cup history.
Beyond his playing contributions, Clarke also served as a non-playing vice-captain for Europe under Colin Montgomerie in 2010 and Paul McGinley in 2014. On February 18, 2015, he was appointed captain of the European team for the 2016 Ryder Cup. He was chosen by a five-member selection panel that included the three immediate past Ryder Cup captains-Paul McGinley, José María Olazábal, and Colin Montgomerie-alongside former Ryder Cup player David Howell and European Tour chief executive George O'Grady. Under his captaincy, the European team lost to the United States.
In addition to the Ryder Cup, Clarke has represented Ireland and Europe in other team events. As an amateur, he played for Ireland in the European Amateur Team Championship (1989) and for Great Britain and Ireland in the St Andrews Trophy (1990, winners). As a professional, he represented Ireland at the Alfred Dunhill Cup (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) and the World Cup (1994, 1995, 1996). For Europe, he participated in the Seve Trophy (2000, 2002 winners, 2011 winners), the Royal Trophy (2007 winners), and was a non-playing captain for the victorious European team in the 2016 EurAsia Cup.
5. Playing style and characteristics
Darren Clarke is widely recognized within the professional golf community for his distinctive playing style and engaging personality. He is known for a "free-spirited character" on the course, which has contributed to his popularity among fans and peers. His demeanor often conveyed a blend of intensity and affability, allowing him to connect with audiences. Off the course, Clarke has expressed a particular fondness for Japan, a country where he has also achieved significant tournament success.
6. Personal life
Darren Clarke's personal life has been marked by both joy and profound challenges. His family has a strong sporting heritage; his grandfather, Ben Clarke, was a footballer who played for clubs like Portadown F.C., Sheffield United F.C., Exeter City, and Carlisle United, earning two amateur caps for the Ireland national football team (1882-1950) in 1934. His father, Godfrey, also played football for Glenavon F.C..
Clarke met his first wife, Heather, in a nightclub in Portrush, County Antrim, and they married in March 1996. The couple had two sons, Tyrone and Conor. The family initially resided in Sunningdale, Berkshire, UK. In December 2001, Heather was diagnosed with primary breast cancer, followed by a diagnosis of secondary breast cancer in 2004. In 2005 and 2006, Clarke frequently withdrew from tournaments to care for her. Heather Clarke passed away on August 13, 2006, at the age of 39, at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. Following her death, Clarke's close friend, fellow golfer Paul McGinley, immediately withdrew from the PGA Championship, citing the intertwined nature of their families and the deep friendship between Heather and McGinley's wife, Ali.
After Heather's death, Clarke and his sons moved back to Northern Ireland, making their home in Portrush. On April 11, 2012, Clarke married Alison Campbell, a former Miss Northern Ireland. Outside of golf, Clarke is a known supporter of Liverpool F.C.. On April 6, 2011, he was photographed by Kevin Abosch as part of "The Face of Ireland" project, which aimed to capture portraits of prominent Irish figures.
7. Awards and honours
Throughout his career, Darren Clarke has received numerous awards and honors recognizing his contributions to golf. In 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2003, he was awarded the Texaco Ireland Sportstar Golf Award. In 2004, he shared this same award with fellow Irish golfers Pádraig Harrington and Paul McGinley. For his services to golf, Clarke was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours list.
8. Tournament wins
Darren Clarke has accumulated 27 professional wins across various tours, including major championships, World Golf Championships, and titles on the European Tour, PGA Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Sunshine Tour, Challenge Tour, and senior tours.
8.1. PGA Tour wins
Clarke has won 3 tournaments co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour.
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 27, 2000 | WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship | 4 and 3 | Tiger Woods | |
| 2 | August 24, 2003 | WGC-NEC Invitational | |||
| 4 strokes | Jonathan Kaye | ||||
| 3 | July 17, 2011 | The Open Championship | |||
| 3 strokes | Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson | ||||
8.2. European Tour wins
Clarke has won 14 tournaments on the European Tour.
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 10, 1993 | Alfred Dunhill Open | |||
| 2 strokes | Nick Faldo, Vijay Singh | ||||
| 2 | October 6, 1996 | Linde German Masters | |||
| 1 stroke | Mark Davis | ||||
| 3 | May 17, 1998 | Benson & Hedges International Open | |||
| 3 strokes | Santiago Luna | ||||
| 4 | November 1, 1998 | Volvo Masters | |||
| 2 strokes | Andrew Coltart | ||||
| 5 | June 6, 1999 | Compass Group English Open | |||
| 2 strokes | John Bickerton | ||||
| 6 | February 27, 2000 | WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship | 4 and 3 | Tiger Woods | |
| 7 | June 4, 2000 | Compass Group English Open (2) | |||
| 1 stroke | Michael Campbell, Mark James | ||||
| 8 | July 8, 2001 | Smurfit European Open | |||
| 3 strokes | Thomas Bjørn, Pádraig Harrington, Ian Woosnam | ||||
| 9 | June 9, 2002 | Compass Group English Open (3) | |||
| 3 strokes | Søren Hansen | ||||
| 10 | August 24, 2003 | WGC-NEC Invitational | |||
| 4 strokes | Jonathan Kaye | ||||
| 11 | April 27, 2008 | BMW Asian Open1 | |||
| 1 stroke | Robert-Jan Derksen | ||||
| 12 | August 24, 2008 | KLM Open | |||
| 4 strokes | Paul McGinley | ||||
| 13 | May 15, 2011 | Iberdrola Open | |||
| 3 strokes | David Lynn, Chris Wood | ||||
| 14 | July 17, 2011 | The Open Championship | |||
| 3 strokes | Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson | ||||
1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
Clarke's European Tour playoff record is 0 wins and 1 loss:
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1995 | Portuguese Open | Adam Hunter | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
8.3. Japan Golf Tour wins
Clarke has won 3 tournaments on the Japan Golf Tour.
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 29, 2001 | The Crowns | |||
| 4 strokes | Keiichiro Fukabori, Shinichi Yokota | ||||
| 2 | November 14, 2004 | Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters | |||
| 6 strokes | Nozomi Kawahara, Lee Westwood | ||||
| 3 | November 13, 2005 | Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters (2) | |||
| 2 strokes | Mitsuhiro Tateyama |
Clarke's Japan Golf Tour playoff record is 0 wins and 1 loss:
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999 | Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters | Ryoken Kawagishi, Hirofumi Miyase | Miyase won with par on second extra hole Kawagishi eliminated by par on first hole |
8.4. Other significant wins
Clarke has 1 win on the Sunshine Tour, 1 win on the Challenge Tour, and 4 other professional wins.
His Sunshine Tour playoff record is 0 wins and 1 loss:
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999 | Vodacom Players Championship | Nic Henning | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
His Challenge Tour win is:
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 14, 2003 | Benmore Developments Northern Ireland Masters | |||
| 2 strokes | Stuart Little |
His other significant wins include:
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1992 | Ulster Professional Championship | |||
| 2 | May 22, 1994 | Smurfit Irish PGA Championship | 285 | 3 strokes | Raymond Burns |
| 3 | July 5, 2010 | J. P. McManus Pro-Am | |||
| 1 stroke | Luke Donald | ||||
| 4 | July 21, 2010 | Lough Erne Challenge (with Rory McIlroy) | |||
| 1 stroke | Pádraig Harrington and Shane Lowry |
Clarke's other playoff record is 0 wins and 1 loss:
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005 | Nedbank Golf Challenge | Jim Furyk, Retief Goosen, Adam Scott | Furyk won with birdie on second extra hole Goosen eliminated by par on first hole |
8.5. Senior Tour wins
Clarke has won 4 tournaments on the PGA Tour Champions and 1 on the European Senior Tour.
His PGA Tour Champions wins include:
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 1, 2020 | TimberTech Championship | |||
| 1 stroke | Jim Furyk, Bernhard Langer | ||||
| 2 | January 23, 2021 | Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai | |||
| 2 strokes | Retief Goosen | ||||
| 3 | September 19, 2021 | Sanford International | |||
| Playoff | K. J. Choi, Steve Flesch | ||||
| 4 | July 24, 2022 | The Senior Open Championship | |||
| 1 stroke | Pádraig Harrington |
Clarke's PGA Tour Champions playoff record is 1 win and 0 losses:
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021 | Sanford International | K. J. Choi, Steve Flesch | Won with birdie on second extra hole Flesch eliminated by par on first hole |
His European Senior Tour win is:
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 24, 2022 | The Senior Open Championship | |||
| 1 stroke | Pádraig Harrington |
9. Major championship results timeline
Clarke's major championship victory occurred in 2011 at The Open Championship.
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Open Championship | 1 shot lead | -5 (68-68-69-70=275) | 3 strokes | Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson |
Results not in chronological order for 2020.
| Tournament | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T8 | CUT | |||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | T43 | T43 | T10 | ||||
| The Open Championship | T64 | CUT | T39 | T38 | T31 | T11 | T2 | CUT | T30 |
| PGA Championship | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T40 | 24 | T20 | T28 | CUT | T17 | T22 | CUT | ||
| U.S. Open | T53 | T30 | T24 | T42 | CUT | 56 | CUT | |||
| The Open Championship | T7 | T3 | T37 | T59 | T11 | T15 | CUT | CUT | T52 | |
| PGA Championship | T9 | CUT | CUT | CUT | T13 | CUT | T42 | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | T44 | T52 | CUT | |||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | CUT | ||||||
| The Open Championship | T44 | 1 | CUT | T21 | T26 | CUT | T30 | CUT | CUT |
| PGA Championship | T48 | CUT | T54 | 75 | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | ||||||
| PGA Championship | ||||||
| U.S. Open | ||||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | NT | CUT | CUT | CUT | T75 |
Legend: 1 = Win, T = Tied, CUT = missed the halfway cut, NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
Summary of Major Championship Results:
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 9 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 6 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 8 |
| The Open Championship | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 32 | 20 |
| Totals | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 79 | 43 |
- Most consecutive cuts made - 7 (2000 Masters - 2001 Open Championship)
- Longest streak of top-10s - 2 (2000 Open Championship - 2000 PGA)
10. World Golf Championship results timeline
Clarke has won two World Golf Championship events, the 2000 WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship and the 2003 WGC-NEC Invitational.
| Tournament | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match Play | R64 | 1 | R64 | QF | 3 | R64 | R64 | R64 | R64 | |||||
| Championship | T40 | T17 | NT1 | 63 | T38 | T4 | T26 | T46 | T43 | |||||
| Invitational | T36 | T17 | 3 | T19 | 1 | T14 | T28 | WD | T67 | T6 | T22 | T68 | ||
| Champions | T38 | |||||||||||||
1Cancelled due to 9/11
Legend: 1 = Win, QF = Quarter-final, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play, T = Tied, WD = Withdrew, NT = No tournament.
Note: The HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
11. Senior major championship results timeline
Clarke won one senior major championship, The Senior Open Championship in 2022.
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | The Senior Open Championship | 1 shot lead | -10 (65-67-69-69=270) | 1 stroke | Pádraig Harrington |
| Tournament | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Tradition | T27 | NT | T8 | T13 | T9 | T32 |
| Senior PGA Championship | T35 | NT | 54 | T14 | T5 | T21 |
| U.S. Senior Open | CUT | NT | T28 | CUT | T32 | T42 |
| Senior Players Championship | T23 | T12 | T38 | T30 | T33 | |
| The Senior Open Championship | T10 | NT | 3 | 1 | T33 | T13 |
Legend: 1 = Win, T = Tied, CUT = missed the halfway cut, NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
12. Legacy and reception
Darren Clarke's career has left a significant mark on the sport of golf, particularly in Northern Ireland and Europe. He is widely recognized for his captivating personality and a resilient spirit, traits that endeared him to fans throughout his professional journey. His emotional victory at the 2006 Ryder Cup, just weeks after a profound personal loss, resonated deeply with the public and solidified his image as a courageous and determined competitor.
His triumph at the 2011 Open Championship, achieving a major win after many attempts and at a later stage of his career, was celebrated as an inspiring testament to perseverance. This victory, coupled with major wins by fellow Northern Irish golfers Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy around the same period, led McIlroy to playfully declare Northern Ireland the "Golf Capital of the World," highlighting Clarke's role in a golden era for golf in the region. Although he was a favorite for the 2006 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award after his Ryder Cup heroics, he finished as runner-up, having expressed discomfort with winning based on a sympathy vote following his wife's death. His consistent play and approachable demeanor have maintained his popularity, making him a respected and admired figure in global golf.