Darren Clarke press conference

JULIUS MASON: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to our first interview during the 82nd PGA Championship week. We'd like to welcome Darren Clarke to Louisville, Kentucky and the 82nd PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.

Darren, some thoughts, and then we'll open it up for question.

DARREN CLARKE: Pretty pleased to get here. I had a long day yesterday. I played yesterday, only played one hole; got rained off. Outside the airport for six hours yesterday afternoon, when they cancelled my plane, all sorts of stuff. I had a long day, and up early this morning. I got a 6:15 plane out of Philadelphia to get here, so I'm forward to getting back and seeing the course and see what it is like.

Q. Philadelphia airport?

DARREN CLARKE: Yes.

Q. With your good start to the season, do you think that Westwood sort of saw that and wanted to keep up, and do you think that has inspired his recent good play?

DARREN CLARKE: Definitely. We tend to have that effect on each other. Whenever one of us plays well, it tends to make the other one play better and vice versa. It's always -- just what we have always done. Very healthy competition.

Q. Mark Brooks didn't really get a lot of recognition for his victory in 1996 at Valhalla. Will winning this championship this year be tarnished because of the other venues that the majors were played at this year? Does that matter?

DARREN CLARKE: I think with Tiger's record in the majors now, and the fact that he played so well, basically, he is going to be the player to beat for the foreseeable future. He is probably going to win two out of the four majors every year. That is going to leave two for other players to win. Any time you have got a chance to win a major whenever Tiger is in the field, it is going to put enough importance on it. Winning one, I think if you asked Ernie Els if he wanted to win one of them, he would have taken any of them. The fact that Tiger is going to play so well gives maybe less opportunity for the rest of us to win some. I think it has more importance to it now than maybe before.

Q. Is it slightly worrying for golfers, the reports last week that Tiger carried thousands of people even when he was down the field and the leaders set off in the third round with about 20 people watching them?

DARREN CLARKE: (Laughs). That is just the way the game is going. If somebody is going to play as well as Tiger invariably plays every week, people are always going to want to watch the world's No. 1. That is just part and parcel of it. He is going to pull the biggest crowds with him wherever he goes to play.

Q. Follow-up to that, how does that affect a golfer when he is on the course when that gallery is following him the way they do and they are as raucous as they are?

DARREN CLARKE: What do you mean, how does it affect the player playing with Tiger?

Q. Either if you are playing with him or if you are in another foursome nearby?

DARREN CLARKE: I think whenever we are out there, we are pretty much focused on what we are trying to do. And we are playing in front of crowds every week, and it doesn't particularly make that much difference. You have got to go and play and play the best you can, and, you know, not worry about what is going on around you.

Darren Clarke practising yesterday. Allsport.

Q. Obviously, everyone is focussed on what Tiger has accomplished this year. In your perspective, can you name one or two players that have had what ordinarily would be Player-of-the-Year type years if Tiger wasn't there, who in your mind has been overlooked, and why?

DARREN CLARKE: I think you haven't got -- you can't look any further than Ernie Els. He finished second in all majors, and that in itself is a fantastic achievement.

Just seems to be a fact that Tiger has played a different tournament than everybody else, and Ernie has been quoted as saying that. I think he has had an unbelievable year, to do that, to finish second in all the majors is a fantastic achievement.

Q. What is it about Ernie in his makeup, in his game that has made him so successful when the pressure is on in those majors?

DARREN CLARKE: He is just an all-around great player, basically, and he has been a bit quiet these past few years, but the guy has already won two majors two U.S. opens, which are tough ones to win. And he has just been a fantastic player for a long time, and he is just back to where he was a few years ago again.

Q. It wouldn't appear as if you have a favorite major, given that you have been Top-10 in 3 of them. Anything about this championship that appeals to you different from the others, or is there any major that stands out for you? Do you treat them equally?

DARREN CLARKE: I think obviously coming from home, the British Open would tend to be my favorite one, but as I have -- I was just explaining earlier, the fact that Tiger is going to play so well all the time, it gives less opportunity for other guys to possibly win them.

I think the emphasis will certainly be majors, a major that a lot of players will try to win for that reason.

Q. Emphasis changes a bit?

DARREN CLARKE: A little bit.

Q. How much do you like it hot?

DARREN CLARKE: Don't know. I haven't been here long enough. I literally arrived in a cab, gone to the locker room, came straight here. So, I will see how hot it can be.

Q. Any previous experiences?

DARREN CLARKE: With my astounding athleticism, is that what you are trying to get to? (Laughter).

I don't mind. It will be fine.

JULIUS MASON: Questions? Darren Clarke, folks, thank you very much.

Email this page to a friend