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Grunt
25th May 2006, 08:26 PM
Below is what may be the greatest asset that the game of golf gives everyone.


Clarke the hero.. http://www.thegolfer.com.au/images/stories/clarke.jpgRAIN delays and time differences meant Irishman Darren Clarke's stunning display of good sportsmanship passed almost un-noticed in this part of the world. Yet Clarke has won a wave of support for his actions on the final day of the Nissan Irish Open.
When Clarke arrived at Wentworth the following week for the BMW Championship he was congratulated at every turn and treated as though he'd won the event at Carton House, rather than finish third, two shots behind Dane Thomas Bjorn.
The Ulster golfer was among the 63 players who had been forced to return to the rain-sodden Irish course on Monday.
It was in actions in not seeking benefit from spectator-trodden rough at the ninth hole that have won him so many fans.
Clarke left the course on Sunday once play had been halted but with his ball deep in the rough alongside the ninth fairway and the very likelihood of recording a bogey on his return.
That return wasn't until 9.15am the next day and to Clarke's surprise he found the ball that he'd left overnight was perched nicely on top of grass, obviously trodden down later in the afternoon or overnight by persons unknown.
The two-time Accenture Match-Play winning hero immediately called an official to advise his lie had been improved.
And while he was given approval to play the ball as it lay, Clarke was feeling uncomfortable and instead elected to chip out and back onto the fairway.
"I could not have lived with myself and it was the only way I can keep my conscience clear," he told the referee.
"I could have hit my shot onto the green with a seven iron but if I had done so I would have had to hold my head in shame walking all the way to the green.
"So I decided to chip it out and play it like I would have yesterday."
Clarke's actions cost him an eventual ninth-hole bogey while further bogeys at 16 and 18 cost him the tournament.
US Open champion, Michael Campbell, said: "There was so much talk between the players when I arrived at Wentworth from Ireland.
"Darren's gone up in my estimations - tenfold - and to penalise himself due to his lie in the rough, a day later, was amazing.
"That's a beautiful thing about this game.
"It's a real gentleman's game and Darren is upholding the integrity of the game of golf and himself doing what he did.
http://www.thegolfer.com.au/images/stories/theGolfer_NSW_April_2006_thn.jpg"It's a situation that could be repeated more often on the golf course but he's a fine example and shows how big a person he really is character wise.
"It takes a lot of guts to do what he did and Darren definitely makes us all look good."
Ryder Cup rookie elect, Henrik Stenson was another to praise Clarke: "Darren actions are a shining example of what the game of golf is all about - honesty, integrity and sportsmanship.
"There's a lot of sports that could take a leaf out what happened last Monday in Ireland."
Clarke's actions also raised the stigma still surrounding Colin Montgomerie's controversial 2005 Indonesian Open affair where Monty clearly was advantaged when replacing his ball.

Eag's
25th May 2006, 08:45 PM
Wow :shock: that shows a lot of class and guts. Clarke... what a legend :smt023

Fishman Dan
25th May 2006, 08:50 PM
That's potentially a 50 000+ dollar/euro decision. That's guts.

3oneday
25th May 2006, 09:36 PM
That's potentially a 50 000+ dollar/euro decision. That's guts.
well, then it shows he's not a struggling pro too I guess ;)

Fishman Dan
25th May 2006, 09:45 PM
Or he's an idiot! :p

Iain
26th May 2006, 02:22 PM
Well done to Clark, real class!!

Jarro
26th May 2006, 02:36 PM
well, then it shows he's not a struggling pro too I guess ;)

exactly.

i wonder if a young up'n'comer that was bordering on finishing in a good placing would have done the same thing ??

PRC
26th May 2006, 02:41 PM
Loved the dig at Montie at the end. Is there "stigma" surrounding Montie for the Indo open? First I've heard. I think there's far more "stigma" surrounding him due to the lack of a major win.

markTHEblake
26th May 2006, 07:10 PM
whythe hell was his ball left there overnight? they are supposed to mark it and take the ball home with them.