Golf new stars on today’s Open Champion

Since Darren Clarke’s victory in July’s Open Championship,he hosted his foundation’s first “Champions Weekend” at Portmarnock.
The Darren Clarke Foundation, welcomed 20 winners from across Ireland to the annual event where they competed at Portmarnock Golf Club and Portmarnock Links and enjoyed a series of clinics hosted by the Champion Golfer of the Year.
Those winners of the boys and girls national and regional age group championships were invited to there. In addition special invitations were extended to Leona and Lisa Maguire, Tom Lewis,has won his open Championship Silver Medallist at the Portugal Masters, in only his third professional start.
The 20-year-old, who was a member of the victorious GB&I Walker Cup team at Royal Aberdeen just five weeks ago, birdied five of his last seven holes to take the title and secure his tour card for the next two years.
A delighted Lewis said: “I’ve not thought about the money — I was thinking about winning.
“I’ve got a long way to go. I’m nowhere near the player I want to be, so I’ll put this win behind me at the end of the year and start fresh next year.
“I would not have expected this at all. I was really dreading going to the Qualifying School at the end of the year, but it looks like I’ve skipped that.”
Clarke, who won the 140th Open Championship at Royal St George’s, said:
“I am delighted to have hosted the 2011 Champions Weekend. One of the main aims of the foundation is to promote and foster junior golf in Ireland.
“My sincere thanks goes to Portmarnock Links and in particular Portmarnock Golf Club which has become the home of the DCF Champions Weekend.
“From the feedback I have received the participants seem to have enjoyed themselves and hopefully my advice and mentoring will help them in the development of their golf game.”
The event also saw Clarke award €5,000 bursaries to the 16-year-old Maguire twins, who follow other successful players including 2011 GB&I Walker Cup team member Alan Dunbar in receiving an award from the foundation.
What’s more,for the European Junior Solheim team, Leona won the 2011 British Women’s Amateur Stroke Play Championship and Lisa won the 2011 European Women’s Amateur Championship. Both played in the 2010 Curtis Cup team, at 15-years-old the youngest players ever selected for Great Britian & Ireland.
Duncan Weir, The R&A’s Director of Golf Development, said: “The R&A hugely admires the work of the Darren Clarke Foundation which I am sure will play a part in extending the recent run of Irish success in Major championships long into the future.
“This foundation can be added to a long list of initiatives led by Open Champion.The work of these great champions ensures that thousands of youngsters are given the opportunity to experience golf and that the stars of tomorrow embark on their careers with as much help and advice as possible.”
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