Clarke eyes comeback in Qatar
Darren Clarke was part of Europe's victorious Ryder Cup team
Also In The News
|
Under-fire Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko scored twice as Chelsea booked their place in the Carling Cup final with a thumping 4-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers at Stamford Bridge. |  |
Wednesday, 24, Jan 2007 05:16
Europe's Ryder Cup hero Darren Clarke has cited the Qatar Masters at the Doha Golf Course for a return to action on the PGA Tour.
The Northern Irishman joins an all-star field including Ernie Els, Michael Campbell, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Lee Westwood and Scotland's Paul Lawrie, who took the Qatar title in 1999 before lifting the Open Championship trophy the same year.
Clarke is now ranked outside the world's top 40 as a result of his limited participation on the Tour in the last six months, which has seen him compete in just five tournaments.
However, he has spoken of his desire to get back playing again following his extended hiatus from the game after the death of his wife, Heather, from cancer.
"It's better to be trying to compete against some of the world's best players than being stuck at home," Clarke said.
"I'm keen to get back to work again and I'm looking forward to the challenge. It's a great field and there's lots of ranking points on offer."
Although he said he was "competitively rusty", the Ulsterman added that he wanted to continue working to get back to his best.
According to his own website, Clarke intends to play two PGA Tour events scheduled for the Middle East in the next few weeks - first the Qatar Masters, which starts tomorrow, before the Desert Classic in Dubai at the beginning of February.