By John Manley
Darren Clarke’s finishing position in last week’s Benson & Hedges International is no reason for jubilation, but the Portrush man must have left Oxfordshire in Thame, England, with a large dollop of satisfaction.
Clarke had made only two cuts prior to teeing off in the B&H, and when last seen was finishing far back in the Far East, while buddy Lee Westwood was lifting winner’s hardware heavenward.
Clarke wasn’t a threat to winner Colin Montgomerie here, but his 19th-place finish at seven-under 281 saw him put four consistent rounds together. His cards read 70, 71, 71 and 69. Montgomerie topped the board at 15-under 273.
Eamonn Darcy came through with another top-10 performance. His nine-under 279 (72-68-68-71) tied him for sixth place with eight others. Padraig Harrington was a stroke behind that group at 280 (70-71-71-68), which tied him for 15th position. Paul McGinley, meanwhile, was among a cluster of nine golfers (including Clarke) at 281. He shot rounds of 72, 67, 70 and 72.
The cut fell at two-under 142. Missing from action on the weekend were John McHenry, 144 (71-73), Des Smyth, 144 (74-70), and Philip Walton, 148 (75-73).
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AIB Irish Seniors Open
The second stop on the European Seniors’ 1999 campaign convened at Mount Juliet in Kilkenny, with England’s John Morgan a one-stroke winner at seven-under 209. Eddie Polland was the highest finishing Irishman, sharing fifth-place honors at 212 (69-72-71) with two others.
A stroke behind that trio at 213 was Christy O’Connor Jr. fresh off his stellar American performances. O’Connor was an early contender with an opening 68, and was still within reach after a 71 on Saturday. Bogeys on the 13th, 14th and 15th holes on Sunday ruled out his chances, yielding a score of 74. He had eighth place to himself. Among a group of four tied at 11th place was Denis O’Sullivan, who shot 215 (71-68-76).
European Challenge Tour
Francis Howley shared the first-round lead in the BIL Luxembourg Open at the Kikuoka Golf and Country Club with a five-under 67, but saw his scores bulge after that as he headed down the leaderboard. Howley finished in a tie for 33rd position at three-under 285 (67-70-72-76). Gary Murphy tied for 44th place at 289 (70-70-71-78). Kevin Carissimi was the winner at 18-under 270.
Nike Tour
John Kernohan had been missing in action through the first four months of 1999, but the Kentucky-based son of Irish parents chose the Nike Dominion Open to make his seasonal debut. It was a short-lived affair. Kernohan missed the cut of 144 or better by shooting 146 (74-72) at The Dominion Club in Glen Allen, Va. It was also another lost weekend for Keith Nolan, who finished at 150 (72-78).