February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By John Manley
Inconsistent play thwarted any chance that either Darren Clarke or Padraig Harrington had of mounting a threat to Tiger Woods in The Players Championship at TPC at Sawgrass. Clarke began the tournament with a 75, followed by a 70, whereas Harrington produced the same numbers in reverse order.
Clarke finished tied for 26th place at 288 (75-70-72-71) and earned $44,400. Harrington was two strokes behind at 290 (70-75-73-72), which left him in a tie for 33rd position, with earnings of $31,028.57. Woods’ winning number was 274.
Both Clarke and Harrington will look to close the gap on Woods next week in The Masters at Augusta, Ga.
European Tour
Not too many years ago, Philip Walton was playing the kind of golf that qualified him for a chance at the green jacket. Last week, he traveled to Brazil for the Sao Paulo Brazil Open, where he recorded a 15th-place tie as his game slowly returns to its former competitive self.
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Walton shot seven-under-par 206 (69-66-71) at the Sao Paulo Golf Club, where play was reduced to 54 holes due to inclement weather. Darren Fichardt won with a final 195. David Higgins missed the cut at 146. He was in contention after his first-round 68, but came apart in the second round with a 78.