Darren Clarke's victory in the Chunichi Crowns tournament on the Japanese Tour on Sunday was the ninth international win of his career, but it also gave him the distinction of becoming the first Irish player to win on four different continents.
Clarke has now won in Europe, the United States, Africa and Asia. And this latest victory has moved him one ahead of Ronan Rafferty - who has won in Europe, Australia and South America - in terms of global successes. But he wasn't the first Irish winner in Japan. That feat was first accomplished by Hugh Boyle, who won the Yomiuri Open on that circuit in 1966.
"I'd rate this as a tremendous achievement by Darren. Given what happened to him in Spain last week when he had a 10 in his final round, to go out to Japan and win on a course that didn't particularly suit him, because it is a drive and wedge one, is tremendous," said his manager Andrew "Chubby" Chandler, who yesterday flew out to Macau where Lee Westwood will attempt to continue the ISM stable's successful invasion of the Far East.
Clarke, in contrast, arrived back home in London last night and will have a week's break before returning to competition in next week's International Open, which will mark the start of a six-week stretch for the player that finishes with the US Open in Oklahoma.
Clarke intends to play five successive weeks in Europe - taking in the International, TPC of Europe, Volvo PGA, British Masters and English Open, where he is seeking a third succcessive win - before playing in Tulsa. With Clarke and Padraig Harrington deciding to bypass this week's French Open in Lyon, the Irish contingent is led by Paul McGinley, who has slipped to 14th in the Ryder Cup table and down to 79th in the world rankings. McGinley, who didn't originally intend to play in this event, is joined by Philip Walton, a past winner, Ronan Rafferty, David Higgins, Gary Murphy and Damien Mooney.
Meanwhile, Richie Coughlan's injury problems continued last week when he was forced to withdraw after the first round of the Greater Greensboro Classic. Coughlan, who sustained two fractured ribs in a fall almost two months ago, has entered for this week's Compaq New Orleans Classic at English Turn, starting on Thursday, but won't make a decision on his participation until tomorrow.
Sean Quinlivan's season on the Buy.Com Tour has failed to take off and he missed his third cut in three tournaments in last week's tournament in South Carolina, but there was better fortune for former Irish amateur international Bryan Omelia, who secured his first top-10 finish in the NGA Hooters Tour event in Arkansas.
