February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By John Manley
A week after posting a quintuple bogey 10 while contending for a championship in Spain, Darren Clarke repaired to the Far East, where he returned to a winning habit, capturing the Chunichi Crowns by four shotsat the weekend.
Clarke began the final round at the Nagoya Golf Club Wago course in Togo with a one-stroke lead and increased that advantage to two by the back nine. Imminent disaster suggested itself when he bogeyed the 11th and 13th holes, falling back into a tie for the lead. He straightened out on 14, however, and put the field away for his first win in Japan. Clarke’s final score was 267 (66-67-67-67).
Euro Tour
Padraig Harrington’s opening round 64 established the early lead in the Portuguese Open, and while the Dubliner didn’t exactly have a grip on the lead heading into Sunday’s final round, he at least had his fingers on the pulse, tied as he was with four others. But the title slipped away, when Phillip Price came from four shots behind to claim the championship with a final-round 64. Harrington settled for a share of second place with Sven Struver at Quinta do Lago in Algarve, Portugal.
Harrington missed birdie putts of 12 feet at the 15th green and eight feet at the 16th to seal his fate. He signed his name to a score of 275 (64-70-71-70) for his third runner-up placing of the year.
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David Higgins was tied for second place, two shots behind Harrington after the first round, but his luck plummeted as his score skyrocketed to 77 on Friday. He made the cut by two strokes, then shared 44th place at 284 (66-77-72-69) with several others. Paul McGinley tied for 37th place at 283
(71-69-70-73).
The cut line was established at 144, leaving a quintet of Irishmen arranging for early departures. They were Gary Murphy, 145 (72-73), Eamonn Darcy, 146 (75-71), Ronan Rafferty, 147 (73-74), Philip Walton, 148 (74-74) and Des Smyth, 150 (73-77).