ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The way Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke figures it, he isn't too old to give it another go.
The European Ryder Cup hero and former British Open champion, now 45 and his best days allegedly behind him, is again taking up membership on the PGA Tour.
Last a full-time member in 2006, Clarke hasn't won anywhere in the world since lifting the Claret Jug in 2011, an 0-for-47 stretch that has called into question his desire to play.
But exempt this season because of his victory in the British Open, and coming off ties for 12th and second in his last two starts in Europe and China, Clarke looked and sounded rejuvenated after he banged balls on the range for more than two hours at the Sea Island Golf Club's Seaside Course on a windy, biting Tuesday to get ready for Thursday's start in the McGladrey Classic.
"It's almost like starting over," Clarke said. "It's good to have the opportunity to take it up again. At 45, I've almost had enough of the long hauls all over Asia and all that sort of stuff. Not that it's bad, but coming over here is certainly a lot easier for me from a scheduling point of view. The PGA Tour is the biggest investor in the world, Europe is my home turf, but it's a great opportunity to come over here and play.
"I just want to go out and enjoy myself. I've traveled all over the world for a long time and I've had a great time doing it."
With a home in the Bahamas and another base in West Palm Beach, Fla., Clarke said his travel will be easier on this side of the Atlantic instead of going to and from his other home in Northern Ireland, where his wife and two sons, ages 15 and 13, are residing. Clarke said he will play next week in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Mexico, then a tournament in Turkey.
Next year – after taking off the entire month of December – Clarke will try and play both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. On the PGA Tour, he said he'll start the year off in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, play the following week in the Northern Trust Open, then play the entire Florida swing.
"It will be difficult," Clarke said of playing both tours. "But it is something I will try to do. I will see how I get on with it. But my first commitment is to the PGA Tour, and I have to get my tournaments in on the Tour since I became a member again."
Chip-ins: Brandt Snedeker is hurt again. The 2012 FedExCup champion and two-time winner in 2013 injured his left knee in China last weekend and was forced to pull out of this week's Australian PGA. Snedeker flew to the United States and confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that he got an MRI on Tuesday. Snedeker said he felt fine and was able to get around without crutches. He is scheduled to play in the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge Dec. 5-8. Snedeker missed five weeks earlier this year when he injured his ribs while winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. …World No. 1 Tiger Woods is playing in the Turkish Airlines Open on the European Tour this week … World No. 2 Adam Scott is playing in the Australian PGA, his first tournament in his homeland since winning the Masters in April. It is also Scott's first visit to Down Under since winning in Augusta. …
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