Latest news with #DarrenClarke
Washington Post
a day ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn team to win the American Family Insurance Championship
MADISON, Wis. — European Ryder Cup captains and teammates Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn won the American Family Insurance Championship on Sunday, shooting a 7-under 64 in better-ball play for a four-stroke victory over four teams. The tournament hosted by Steve Stricker — who tied for second with brother-in-law Mario Tiziani — switched to the team format this year, giving the PGA Tour Champions its only team event.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn team to win the American Family Insurance Championship
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — European Ryder Cup captains and teammates Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn won the American Family Insurance Championship on Sunday, shooting a 7-under 64 in better-ball play for a four-stroke victory over four teams. The tournament hosted by Steve Stricker — who tied for second with brother-in-law Mario Tiziani — switched to the team format this year, giving the PGA Tour Champions its only team event. Advertisement Clarke and Bjorn finished at 32-under 181 at TPC Wisconsin. They opened with a better-ball 59 and shot a 58 on Saturday in a scramble round. The 56-year-old Clarke, from Northern Ireland, won for the fifth time on the 59-and-over tour. The 54-year-old Bjorn, from Denmark, won his first Champions title. Striker and Tiziani closed with a 65 to match the teams of Alex Cejka-Soren Kjeldsen (59), Doug Barron-Dicky Pride (69) and Steve Flesch-Paul Goydos (64) at 28 under. Bernhard Langer and Steven Alker were another stroke back after a 63. Ernie Els, the winner last year in individual play, teamed with Tim Herron for a 66 that left them 26 under. ___ AP golf:
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn team to win the American Family Insurance Championship
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — European Ryder Cup captains and teammates Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn won the American Family Insurance Championship on Sunday, shooting a 7-under 64 in better-ball play for a four-stroke victory over four teams. The tournament hosted by Steve Stricker — who tied for second with brother-in-law Mario Tiziani — switched to the team format this year, giving the PGA Tour Champions its only team event. Clarke and Bjorn finished at 32-under 181 at TPC Wisconsin. They opened with a better-ball 59 and shot a 58 on Saturday in a scramble round. The 56-year-old Clarke, from Northern Ireland, won for the fifth time on the 59-and-over tour. The 54-year-old Bjorn, from Denmark, won his first Champions title. Striker and Tiziani closed with a 65 to match the teams of Alex Cejka-Soren Kjeldsen (59), Doug Barron-Dicky Pride (69) and Steve Flesch-Paul Goydos (64) at 28 under. Bernhard Langer and Steven Alker were another stroke back after a 63. Ernie Els, the winner last year in individual play, teamed with Tim Herron for a 66 that left them 26 under. ___ AP golf:
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aussie twosome hot on leaders' heels in Champions Tour
Thomas Bjorn and Darren Clarke have combined to shoot a 12-under-par 59 to grab the early advantage at the American Family Insurance Championship in Madison. Friday's four ball (best ball) format, which takes the lower score of a pairing of two golfers on each hole, is predisposed to the proliferation of lower scores, and indeed, every coupling of golfers competing was under par on the day. Clarke, of Northern Ireland, and Denmark's Bjorn were a dynamic duo on the first day of the tournament's debut at TPC Wisconsin, with each accounting for seven birdies across 12 different holes. But they have Australian twosome Richard Green and Mark Hensby in hot pursuit, just two behind them. "Certainly for me knowing Thomas's game so well made it so much easier for me to go out there and free it up today," Clarke said. "I really enjoy playing with him because I know he's there if I mess up, and likewise I try to be there for him. "We have, it's like a 'no sorry' policy. We're both trying as hard as we can and we both hit a lot of really good shots today and made the most of our opportunities." Each got on individual hot streaks, nabbing birdies on four straight holes. Overall, Clarke pocketed birdies on Nos.2, 4-7, 9 and 14. Bjorn had birdies at Nos.4-5, 11 and 15-18. "I think we were tactically very, very sound today and did the right things when we had to," Bjorn said. "When we had two balls in the fairway or two balls on the green, we could be aggressive and that's why we holed more putts than we probably normally would, and we could take on a little bit more flags." "You feel the consequences in a different way."@thomasbjorngolf on team format with @DarrenClarke60 as they lead @amfamchamp by 2. — PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) June 6, 2025 Seven duos are within four strokes of the leaders. Green and Hensby at 10-under 61, were good for second place. Hensby had the rougher day of the two with a pair of bogeys, but six birdies by Green kept them in contention. "I think we just both really enjoy the golf course, and the conditions are beautiful," Green said. "It's a lot of fun to play and hit the right shots required on this golf course. I felt comfortable out there." Defending champion Ernie Els of South Africa and his partner Tim Herron are tied for third at nine under alongside Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and Australia's Brendan Jones. Tied for fifth at eight under are Australians Cameron Percy and David Bransdon, fellow Australians Stuart Appleby and Michael Wright, South Korea's K.J. Choi and Japan's Hiroyuki Fujita and Americans Gene Sauers and Glen Day. Saturday will switch things up with a scramble format - golfers choose the best lie of the two shoots they take from each location along the hole until the hole is completed - before reverting to best ball format on championship Sunday.
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Harrington in the mix at Seniors PGA Championship
Pádraig Harrington had an up-and-down first round in his bid for a second seniors major at Congressional Country Club yesterday. Harrington made four birdies but also three bogeys on his way to a one-under-par 71, three shots behind early leader Keith Horne, in the Senior PGA Championship on the Blue course in Bethesda, Maryland. The Dubliner won the US Senior Open in 2022 and has been runner-up in The Senior Open in both 2022 when he was one shot behind Darren Clarke and then 2023 where he lost a play-off with Alex Cejka at Royal Porthcawl. Darren Clarke, who was among the later groups, made a strong start and was three-under for his opening nine holes. Meanwhile, Leona Maguire's struggles this season continued as she shot an opening three-over 75 at the Mexico Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba on the LPGA Tour. The 29-year-old two-time winner on tour has only one top-10 in the 2025 season, and will be looking to avoid a second missed cut in a row. Leona Maguire drives from the sixth tee during the first round of the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba. Picture:On the Ladies European Tour, Moa Folke fired an excellent round of 64 (-7) to hold a two-shot lead at the end of the first day of the Jabra Ladies Open. The morning tee times were delayed by one hour due to heavy rainfall in Evian-les-Bains but play got underway at 9am (local time). Sweden's Folke only dropped one shot around Evian Resort and Golf Club rolling in eight birdies on day one in France. Anna Foster was best of the Irish players in the field, sitting in a tie for 12th on two-under. On the DP World Tour, Joost Luiten made the most of home comforts to post an opening six under par 65 and take a share of the first round lead at the Soudal Open. The Dutchman is staying at home just across the Belgium-Netherlands border this week and made the most of familiar surroundings to share a one-stroke lead with Canadian Aaron Cockerill and Spain's Angel Ayora at Rinkven International Golf Club. Starting from the tenth, six-time DP World Tour winner Luiten made the turn at three under with his birdie at the 18th the first of three in a row as he opened a gap at the top of the leaderboard. He gave a shot back at the par four third hole, but responded immediately with a birdie at the fourth and an eagle at the fifth to reach seven under. He carded his second and final bogey of the day at the very next hole, before parring his way in to set the target. That target was matched by Ayora, who was on course to take the lead on his own before bogeying his final hole, and Cockerill who went bogey-free round the Antwerp lay-out to post his lowest round on the 2025 Race to Dubai. The leading trio are one stroke ahead of three players who share fourth place, with South African Thriston Lawrence making a strong start in his first round of the European Swing alongside American Sean Crocker and Englishman Marco Penge, who continued his excellent run of form. The 27-year-old won his maiden DP World Tour title at the Hainan Classic last month before finishing in a tie for 28th place on his US PGA Championship debut at Quail Hollow Club last week.
