Royal Lytham Diary

A British Open miscellany compiled by PHILIP REID

Final act of an unforgettable year: Clarke bids farewell (for now) to the Claret Jug

As the white Mercedes drove in through the gates to Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club yesterday morning, the security guards keeping people at arm’s length behind crash barriers, it was possible to see the car’s back seat passenger clutching the Claret Jug. The time was 10.24am and Darren Clarke was on his way in to perform the ceremonial handing over of the famed trophy to the RA’s top man, Peter Dawson.

The official return of the trophy effectively marked the end of Clarke’s reign as he refocuses his sights on attempting to retain the title, a feat accomplished by two players (Tiger Woods and Pádraig Harrington) inside the past decade.

Just as he was a year ago when triumphing at Sandwich, Clarke is around the 125 to 1 mark with bookmakers to win again. And if the feats of Woods winning back-to-back in 2005 and 2006 and Harrington repeating the feat in 2007 and 2008 serves as a reminder to Clarke that a repeat win is very possible, the flip side of the coin is that Ben Curtis and Todd Hamilton both missed the cut in the years where they sought to defend the title.

One thing that is guaranteed for Clarke – and all past champions – this week is a place in the locker-room known as “the champions’ area”. It is not a separate room, which is the case for returning champions to Augusta National Golf Club each year for the Masters, but those housed in the section know  they are there for a reason: they found a way to win the Jug!

Ironically, Clarke found himself in that area of the locker-room last year at Royal St George’s as he recalled yesterday. “I was beside Mr Watson and some of the other guys. I couldn’t quite figure out why I was in the locker. It was through the late withdrawal of Greg Norman that Mr Dawson decided, “well, who can we put in there that won’t offend anybody” and they stuck me in. This year I’m back in the same champions’ area but, having won it, I’ve earned my place this time.”

Clarke has served his year as a worthy custodian of the trophy. He rounded off his official duties, as it were, with the Claret Jug by attending the Junior Open at nearby Fairhaven Golf Club on Sunday.

Indeed, one of the highlights of Clarke’s year has been the transporting of the trophy around the globe. “It was wonderful bringing it to all sorts of different countries where it had never been before, letting people see it. It’s one of those iconic trophies that people see on television but never actually get to see.

“But a lot of people did (this past year). A lot of people have pictures with it and they all enjoyed it as much as I did.”

STAT ATTACK

"Curiouser and curiouser," as Alice herself might have put it of the driving accuracy statistic on the PGA European Tour with regard to those lining up in this week's British Open at Lytham. The driving accuracy stat is normally a good indicator of a likely contender in this Major but, rather strangely, only one of the top-14 players in that category are actually in the field here this week.

That it happens to be the number one player in the category – Adilson Da Silva – is probably worth noting, although the Brazilian's play once he gets to the greens doesn't quite match his accuracy off the tee. He has a best finish of tied-18th at the Africa Open on the main tour this season.

Consumer

Former Ladies' European Tour player Lynn McCool – nowadays the resident professional at Lough Erne Resort outside Enniskillen – has devised a special women's-only "golf retreat" that combines lessons in the on-site golf school with a tournament on the Nick Faldo-designed course. The two-day mix of lessons, tournament play, gala dinner and hotel accommodation – £175 per person sharing – will take place on August 20th-21st.

Penalty or not: Moving stone

Q In strokeplay, A, in ignorance of the rules and with the concurrence of B, his marker, removed a stone from a water hazard when his ball lay in the hazard. Subsequently, A was advised by C, a fellow-competitor, that he (A) was in breach of Rule 13-4. A disagreed, failed to settle the doubtful point with the committee at the end of the round and returned his score card without including a two-stroke penalty for a breach of Rule 13-4. After the competition had closed, C advised the committee of the incident. Should A be disqualified?

A Yes. Rule 34-1b says in effect that a competitor shall be disqualified after the competition has closed if he had returned a score, failing to include a penalty which, before the competition closed, he knew he had incurred. Given that player C pointed out to A that he had proceeded incorrectly and A took no action to check whether he had incurred a penalty before returning his card, the committee should decide that A knew that he had incurred a penalty.

IN THE BAG

Jeev Milkha Singh

(Scottish Open champion)

Shoes: FootJoy DryJoy

Ball: Titleist ProV1x

Driver: Callaway FT3 (6 degree)

Fairway woods: Callaway Big Bertha Steelhead (12 degree, 17 degree)

Irons: (3-PW) Callaway Diablo

Wedges: Ping Zing SW (54 degree), Ping Zing LW (58 degree)

Putter: Scotty Cameron (35-inch)