Clarke's boost for junior golf

GOLF: Darren Clarke is to spearhead a major initiative designed to promote golf among aspiring young players. Aimed at both boys and girls the Darren Clarke Foundation was launched yesterday by the Dungannon man, a project with the twin aspirations of honing and developing the skills of young talented golfers, and providing an opportunity for those who would not otherwise have access to the game.

Clarke was struck by the idea nine months ago and yesterday announced details of the structure that has been put in place. He will oversee the appointment and funding of golf professionals throughout the country to offer quality coaching to young boys and girls and secondly focusing on a select group of promising young golfers.

Starting this year the foundation will invite a group of 16 to Portmarnock Golf Club on September 7th and 8th. The invitees will comprise of the winners of the four provincial Under-18 Boys Championships, the four Under-15 Boys' champions, the winners of the four provincial Under-18 Girls Championships, the Under-18 Irish Boys' and Girls' champions, and the winners of the Under-16 and Under-17 sections of the Irish Boy's Championship.

The 11 boys and five girls will have all their expenses covered for the weekend including travel, accommodation meals and prizes.

Clarke will provide two clinics and play a few holes with those attending the foundation weekend in September. He will fund the initiative himself, although ancillary sponsors like Donnay (clothing), Titleist (golfballs) and Scottie Cameron (putters) will help out.

The Irishman is currently negotiating with several sponsors to come onboard after the first year. Clarke launched the foundation at Druids Glen yesterday outlining the reasons for what is a laudable enterprise.

"The GUI have been very good to me and very supportive since I started playing here. It's just a way of trying to give people who may not have had the same opportunities to get a golf club in their hands the chance to do that.

"That's why I am very keen to get this off the ground, to give people an opportunity to play. For a relatively small country we've got a quarter of the Ryder Cup team and if we can keep on producing players of the quality that we have at the moment that can only be good for Irish golf. Hopefully through the foundation we'll be able to find a lot of young people who can come through and enjoy the game as much as we do.

"We have many fantastic courses here and if we can keep bringing kids into the game, it's hopefully going to make us stronger. I wanted to do something. Other professionals around the world have done it and it's just my way of getting kids involved."

Jack Lynch, President of the GUI, paid tribute to Clarke's undertaking: "Darren has always been a great credit to Irish golf and his many admirers will be delighted by this development." Detailed plans in relation to the coaching scheme for those kids who haven't played the game are being drawn up at present. It is hoped to introduce this through the primary school system both North and South later this year or early 2003.

The trustees of the foundation are Darren Clarke, Andrew Chandler, Dermot Gilleece, JB Carr, Dougie Heather.