Darren Clarke has dismissed claims that he has been asked to be Europe’s next Ryder Cup captain but admitted it would be a “huge honour” if he was asked.
Reports this morning suggested the Irishman had been approached by the European Tour and was interesting in taking the job at Gleneagles in 2014.
But Clarke, one of Jose Maria Olazabal’s assistants at Medinah last month, tweeted: “To clarify . . . I have not been offered the Ryder Cup captaincy. It’s not decided by the committee until January. Would be a huge honour if asked.”
Clarke, 44, helped Europe retain the Ryder Cup at the K Club in 2006 with three points from three matches just a month after the death of his wife, Heather.
Fellow Irishman Paul McGinley is also in the frame for the captaincy role but Lee Westwood is backing Clarke. “He has been a Ryder Cup stalwart for many years, is a major champion and a very good public speaker,” said Westwood. “Tactically, he is very astute. Paul has played in three Ryder Cups. Darren has played in five. He edges it for me.”
Meanwhile, the president of the Turkish Golf Federation today apologised for threatening a journalist at the World Golf final yesterday.
Ahmet Agaoglu was accused of headbutting a local reporter ahead of Tiger Woods’s opening match against Charl Schwartzel and said: “I’m sorry such kind of things happened.
“Some of the cameramen and photographers were in front of Tiger’s line and they had been warned several times by the marshals.
“While Lionel Messi is taking a penalty, you cannot go into the six-yard area to take a picture. I was being pushed by one of them and pushed them back as well, the poor guy was in the wrong place in the wrong time.”
