February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By John Manley
Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington have approached this week’s U.S. Open in different manners. While Harrington took a break from competitive golf, Clarke honed his edge with a fifth-place tie in the Compass Group English Open at the Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel.
After struggling through a first-round 74, Clarke improved with an even-par 72 the next time around. He broke par in his weekend rounds, carding 67 and 68. He finished six strokes behind Australia’s Peter O’Malley, the medalist at 275.
Paul McGinley won’t be coming to the United States, but his five-under 283 (73-69-70-71) was good enough for 10th place. Also going the distance were David Higgins, who tied for 44th place at 292 (76-73-71-72), and Philip Walton, who shared 58th position at 295 (75-72-76-72).
Needing 149 or better to make the cut, but unable to clear that threshold, were Eamonn Darcy, who shot 152 (76-76), Paddy Gribben, 152 (76-76) and Des Smyth, 156 (78-78).
Harrington will tee off with Paul Azinger and Tom Kite on Thursday morning at 8:20 Central Time. The trio will then appear on Friday at 12:40 p.m.
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Clarke will have Harrison Frazar and Kirk Triplett for company, beginning at 9:50 Thursday morning and at 2:10 Friday afternoon.
The U.S. Open is being played at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.
PGA Tour
Richard Coughlan’s return to the PGA Tour hasn’t yet resulted in a year to remember. His appearances have been sporadic due to a rib injury and an inability to get into tournaments that are by invitation or have stringent entrance criteria.
But the FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC of Southwind in Tennessee provided an opportunity that he leaped on out of the gate.
Coughlan finished the opening round on Friday morning in a three-way tie for second place, having shot seven-under-par 64. Eventual champion Bob Estes blazed the trail with 61.
Because Thursday’s round was extended into Friday, Coughlan had to get right back out and play the second 18. He shot 72, which dropped him down the leaderboard but allowed him to comfortably make the cut.
The Offaly golfer pretty much adhered to par over the weekend, carding 71 and 72 to leave with a tie for 42nd place. His five-under 279 was 12 strokes behind Estes’s winning final number. Coughlan earned $11,570.
Euro Seniors Tour
Paul Leonard appeared to have dead aim on the Wales Seniors Open going into Sunday’s final round. He was tied for the lead with Bernard Gallacher, but both gentlemen soared over par on Sunday and didn’t figure in the championship equation.
Leonard settled for a piece of sixth place at 213 (68-69-76) at Royal St. David’s. Behind Leonard were Joe McDermott, who tied for 22nd place at 216 (77-69-70); Liam Higgins, tied for 24th position at 217 (72-73-72); Eddie Polland, who had a sliver of 28th place at 218 (74-72-72), and Leonard Owens and Denis O’Sullivan, both of whom tied for 35th place at 219. Owens’s cards read 73, 72 and 74, while O’Sullivan signed to 70, 72 and 77.
Denis Durnian earned the champion’s laurels with a winning score of 208.