'You wouldn't think I was a member here'
The 2011 Open winner struggled with one birdie and six bogeys in his opening 16 holes.
However, the 56-year chipped in from the rough on the 17th to collect a shot back and his aim is to make the cut for the weekend.
"Four over par wasn't what I was hoping for," Clarke told BBC Sport NI.
"In my practice I was hitting the ball nicely, putting nicely and doing everything well.
"But that's golf, today it didn't quite happen."
Clarke admits his performance on the front nine was littered with "stupid mistakes" that left him questioning 'what am I doing?'.
"On the front nine I hit shots that wouldn't make you think I was a member here," he added.
"But the chip in on 17 was a huge bonus and it was nice to do something good and positive for the day. I just need to play well tomorrow."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
British Open 2025 odds: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy favorites to win at Royal Portrush
The final major golf tournament of the year has arrived. The 2025 Open Championship takes place this week, July 17-20, at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, as the world's best golfers descend upon the UK in hopes of capturing the Claret Jug and etching their name in immortality. So who's going to win? That remains to be seen, obviously, but Vegas oddsmakers have some ideas on who might be walking away from Portrush on Sunday as a major champion. Here's a breakdown of the betting odds for the 2025 Open Championship. *All odds are accurate as of noon ET on Monday, July 14. Odds courtesy of BetMGM. The favorites These are the top dogs — the three players Vegas is counting on to show up on golf's biggest stage. You're not going to get a huge return on these guys, but there's a reason for that. Scottie Scheffler (+400) Rory McIlroy (+700) Jon Rahm (+1200) The contenders There's a host of players in this next tier who will likely be popular picks. They aren't the favorites, but it wouldn't be a total shocker if any of these guys hoisted the Claret Jug at the end of the week. Ludvig Aberg (+2200) Bryson DeChambeau (+2200) Xander Schauffele (+2500) Shane Lowry (+2500) Tommy Fleetwood (+2500) Tyrell Hatton (+2500) Viktor Hovland (+2800) Collin Morikawa (+3300) Matt Fitzpatrick (+4000) Russell Henley (+4500) Sepp Straka (+4500) Justin Thomas (+5000) Brooks Koepka (+5500) Jordan Spieth (+5500) Joaquin Niemann (+5500) Justin Rose (+5500) The value Here's the group where the money is typically made — finding that player in the +6000 to +10000 range who you believe can the weekend and make a run once he gets there. Patrick Cantlay (+6000) Adam Scott (+6600) Hideki Matsuyama (+6600) Ben Griffin (+6600) Patrick Reed (+6600) Sam Burns (+6600) Cam Young (+8000) Jason Day (+8000) Ryan Fox (+8000) Chris Gotterup (+9000) Harry Hall (+9000) Min Woo Lee (+9000) J.J. Spaun (+10000) Brian Harman (+10000) Aaron Rai (+10000) Wyndham Clark (+10000) Cam Smith (+10000) Corey Conners (+10000) The longshots Hey, you just never know, right? Daniel Berger (+12500) Marco Penge (+12500) Nicolai Hojgaard (+12500) Keegan Bradley (+12500) Si Woo Kim (+12500) Taylor Pendrtih (+12500) Tom Kim (+12500) Rickie Fowler (+12500) Tom McKibbin (+12500) Tony Finau (+12500) Akshay Bhatia (+15000) Carlos Ortiz (+15000) Dean Burmester (+15000) Louis Oosthuizen (+15000) Rasmus Hojgaard (+15000) Lucas Herbert (+15000) Maverick McNealy (+15000) Sergio Garcia (+15000) Thomas Detry (+15000) Sungjae Im (+15000) Thriston Lawrence (+15000) Aldrich Potgieter (+17500) Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+17500) Matt Wallace (+17500) Michael Kim (+17500) Nick Taylor (+17500) Byeong Hun An (+20000) Chris Kirk (+20000) Davis Thompson (+20000) Jordan Smith (+20000) Kevin Yu (+20000) Marc Leishman (+20000) Matti Schmid (+20000) Max Greyserman (+20000) Thorbjorn Olesen (+20000) That covers the top 76 players of the 156 in the field. To view the complete list of odds and place your wagers, head to BetMGM. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: British Open Championship 2025 betting odds: Scottie Scheffler favored
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
BRITISH OPEN '25: Facts and figures of golf's oldest championship
Facts and figures for the British Open: Event: 153rd Open Championship. Dates: July 17-20. Site: Royal Portrush GC. Length: 7,381 yards. Par: 71. Field: 156 players minimum. Playoff (if necessary): 4 holes, aggregate score. Prize money: TBA ($17 million in 2024). Winner's share: TBA ($3.1 million in 2024). Defending champion: Xander Schauffele. Last year: Xander Schauffele closed with a 6-under 65 to overcome a two-shot deficit in the final round at Royal Troon and give the Americans a sweep of the four majors for the first time since 1982. Schauffele won his second major of the year after the PGA Championship. He became the first player to twice have a 65 in the closing round to win a major. Last time at Royal Portrush: Shane Lowry won the first British Open in Northern Ireland since 1951 with a six-shot victory at Royal Portrush. He closed with a 1-over 72 in weather so bad no one from the last 12 groups broke par. British Open champions at Royal Portrush: Shane Lowry (2019), Max Faulkner (1951). Major champions in 2025: Rory McIlroy (Masters), Scottie Scheffler (PGA Championship), J.J. Spaun (U.S. Open). Key statistic: This is the third time Royal Portrush has hosted the British Open, the fewest of any course in history except for Royal Cinque Ports (1909 and 1920) and Prince's (1932). The betting favorites from BetMGM Sportsbook: Scott Scheffler (+500), Rory McIlroy (+750), Jon Rahm (+1200), Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton (+2200). Worth noting: Five players from the Emerald Isle have won11 majors dating to 2007. Worth quoting: 'When it's firm, fast, blustery, that's the best links golf. Throw in nine holes of bad weather.' — Padraig Harrington. Television (all times EDT): Thursday-Friday, 1:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. (Peacock), 4 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (USA Network); Saturday, 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. (USA Network), 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. (NBC); Sunday, 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. (USA Network), 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. (NBC). ___ AP golf: The Associated Press
USA Today
15 hours ago
- USA Today
Ian Baker-Finch to sign off from CBS today at Wyndham Championship after 30 years in TV
GREENSBORO, N.C. – After 30 years of broadcasting the PGA Tour, Ian Baker-Finch signing off from CBS Sports on Sunday with the network's final broadcast of the season at the Wyndham Championship. 'Since I made the decision, it's the best I've felt in a long time,' he said. Baker-Finch said he began wrestling with the decision last year at the Masters and RBC Heritage when he realized it represented his 40th year either playing or announcing at those events. 'That's what sort of got me thinking, what's next?' he explained. During his playing career, his powerful swing and competitive spirit was his appeal. Later, his charming personality and soothing voice added to his legacy. The Australian won the 1991 British Open at Royal Birkdale as a player and after he lost his game just a few years later, he made a successful transition to announcing, spending the last 19 years with CBS. Coincidentally, his remarkable story is detailed in a fascinating authorized biography, Ian Baker-Finch: To Hell and Back, which is to be released officially on Monday. Baker-Finch was introduced to golf by his father, who along with his fellow farmers helped build Beerwah Golf Club, a nine-hole course built on 100 acres of pine forest in the Sunshine hinterland of Queensland a mere six miles from the family farm. Baker-Finch received his first clubs – a 2-wood, 3-, 5- and 7-iron and a putter – on his 12th birthday, and was the only student in his school to play the game. He worked at local farms to earn enough money to build a full set at $15 a club. He got his first matched set at age 14 and a year later, in 1975, he received Jack Nicklaus's instructional book Golf My Way, which became his golf bible, as a birthday present from his parents. From those humble beginnings, he left school at age 15 to pursue a career in the game. 'I had this dream of being a club pro, giving lessons and being part of the fabric of a club,' Baker-Finch recalled. 'I never thought I'd be an Open champion.' For many golf fans, the 1984 Open at St. Andrews represented Baker-Finch's first real splash on the world stage. He held a share of the 54-hole lead and played with Tom Watson in the final pairing before skying to 79. Jim Nantz, who would become his longtime friend and broadcast partner at CBS, remembers being dazzled by Baker-Finch's play. 'He was just 23 and you could tell he was going to be a star,' Nantz said. Baker-Finch would surpass his wildest dreams by winning the 1991 Open at Royal Birkdale. In the final round, Baker-Finch sank a 15-foot birdie at the par-3 seventh to go 5 under for the day. He looked up at the leaderboard as he walked to the eighth tee and realized he held a five-shot lead. 'I thought, 'Bloody hell, do not stuff it up from here. I will not be allowed back home,' ' he wrote in his biography. Pete Bender compared caddying for Baker-Finch that week to riding Secretariat, the champion thoroughbred racehorse, and all he had to do was hold on. During his victory speech, Baker-Finch said, 'The pain of the other couple of times when I had a chance to do it gave me the strength to do it today. I will cherish this trophy forever.' Within three years of his Open conquest, his game was in tatters. The 1993 Australian PGA Championship was the last of his 17 wins as a professional golfer. In 1995, he played in 15 tournaments on the PGA Tour and missed every single cut. He hit rock bottom at the 1997 Open at Troon, shooting 92 in the opening round and withdrew. At age 36, six years after being hailed as the Champion Golfer of the Year, his playing career was over. To this day, he regrets playing that round at Troon because the scar tissue became too deep. 'Had I not played that day,' he mused, 'I may have come back to playing but then that was the sliding door moment to the TV career.' Baker-Finch had dabbled in TV the year before while nursing injuries back home in Australia and served as the lead analyst for all four networks in his native land during the summer portion of the schedule as well contributing to the Open Championship for ABC. Its producer at the time, Jack Graham, called him and said, 'I know you would love to get back to playing but if you don't, you've got a job with us.' As a broadcaster, he was a gifted storyteller and determined to follow the principles of 'less is more.' He made a point to glean fresh information from players. 'There was always a warmth quotient,' said CBS's play-by-play commentator Jim Nantz. 'Everyone loves Ian. His genuine kindness always shone through.' 'Everything Finchy said had meaning and purpose,' said CBS executive producer of golf Sellers Shy. 'As our mate steps away, he leaves 19 memorable years at CBS Sports defined by integrity, excellence and kindness. Retirement is a fitting reward for someone who gave so much to the game – and to all of us.' Calling the fifth Green Jacket for Tiger Woods in 2019 and Rory McIlroy completing the career Grand Slam are among the highlights of his broadcasting career. When Adam Scott became the first Australian golfer to don the Green Jacket, Nantz threw the called to Baker-Finch, Scott's fellow Queenslander, who famously said, 'From Down Under to on top of the world, Jim.' Baker-Finch turns 65 in October, and his latest contract was set to expire. His desire to do the preparation required to broadcast at the highest level 23 weeks a year had waned. 'I don't ever want to get to the point where the producer and the team have to sort of legacy protect, if you will. I'm not there yet, but at nearly 65 you start feeling that way,' he said. Baker-Finch looks forward to traveling and enjoying various wine regions and playing more golf, 'and working on my game a little bit because that's what I love to do,' he said. He'll spend more time with wife Jenny and his daughters and grandchildren. The month of March he'll go to New Zealand as he and Jenny enjoyed this year plus three months in Australia, playing a bunch of golf in the Melbourne Sandbelt region while doing it all at his own pace. He'll keep his hands busy doing some golf course design work and still travel to several of golf's biggest events for meetings in his role as chairman of the board of the PGA of Australia. He expects his final broadcast to be an emotional one as the CBS broadcast team has become a second family and for three decades he's been one of the integral voices that make up the soundtrack of the game. 'I hope people saw me as someone who loved the game and respected the players and brought a calm and honest perspective to the coverage,' he said. 'It's never been about me. I'm sort of uncomfortable when something's about me. The love and support I've received since I went public with my retirement has been overwhelming. I do think there may be some on social media that'll say good riddance, we didn't like the accent, or we didn't like him or he was never tough enough on the players but that doesn't worry me. I think the majority will say, 'Hey, he did a good job. He loved the game. We'll miss him.' "
