This is an article I posted on BuffaloGolfer.com in April 2006 when Darren Clarke was terribly close to losing his wife Heather. Since Clarke so gracefully handled his wife’s passing and his emotional return to the golf course, he has been one of my favorite players on the planet. There were many story lines at today’s British Open, but none were greater than Darren Clarke. Fittingly, his golf was equally great and his name will forever be etched on the Claret Jug. Sport can be ugly (see the NFL lockout, the Decision, James Harrison) but it can also be magical, emotional and wonderful. Those are the reasons we watch. Darren Clarke is all of those along with a zillion warm smiles and friendly laughs.
Heather and Darren Clarke Give Us Pause (April 2006)
For guys like Darren Clarke, deep bunkers and slippery greens seem about as tough as dandelions.
Then again, it’s hard to get worked up about threatening golf course designs when you’re constantly reminded of how insignificant and unimposing they truly are.
Clarke, who has won twice in his 16 year PGA Tour career, has never battled anything on a golf course as horrible as the breast cancer his wife Heather fights everyday.
For Heather Clarke, the disease has been a constant companion in her life since she was first diagnosed in 2002. Since then, it’s been an up and down battle for the Clarke family. Heather’s gone in and out of chemotherapy. The disease has seemed conquered at times, only to reemerge once again. Undoubtedly, constantly having to worry about his wife’s health has had some effects on Clarke’s game.
At times, Clarke has taken breaks from the golf world to take care of Heather and to be with the couple’s two children. Through the entire experience, Clarke has made it clear that his wife and kids came far before his golf career
“Golf has been placed into perspective after what has happened at home and elsewhere,” he told reporters earlier this year.
This past weekend at The Players Championship at Sawgrass, Clarke was paired with Tiger Woods in the first two rounds. Woods made headlines when he flew back to see his father a day before the tournament started because Earl Woods was struggling with poor health. The two had a chance to talk about their struggles during the rounds.
Unfortunately for Clarke and his wife, Heather’s cancer has spread and gotten worse after seeming somewhat stabilized at the start of the 2006 season. After finishing third at last week’s Bay Hill Invitational, Clarke again reiterated that golf wasn’t at the top of his priorities right now.
You’ve got to feel for the guy. For all the things he can make a golf ball do with a four iron, he’s almost helpless in the face of the disease. He can stay home, sit by his wife’s side and talk to every doctor in the world, but nothing takes away Heather’s pain. Nothing removes the constant fear that consumes the Clarkes’ life.
Still, he’s been admirably strong whenever asked about it. He talks about how he’s gained perspective. He talks about how he donates earnings to cancer research and to the tsunami relief fun. He seems to understand the many blessings he’s been given in his life.
Listen to him talk about his wife’s situation enough, and it becomes clear that he’d give up everything he’s ever accomplished with a golf ball to have his wife cancer free. But, knowing that he can’t cut such a deal, he turns to golf to ease the pain.
In that way, he’s no different from all the rest of us. Yeah, people love the game because it’s fun and challenging. But, part of the reason we go the golf courses is to get away from the harsh realities of life. Amidst those deep bunkers and slippery greens we escape to a happier world. For Clarke, it enables him to focus on something else other than the fact that Cancer could someday take his wife’s life.
Hopefully, there will come a week when Clarke can walk the fairways without such concerns. Until then, he’ll keep being there for his family and he’ll keep trudging the fairways when he’s able. And, whenever he gets in a jam on the golf course, you know he’ll assess the shot, think of his wife and utter a single sentence to his caddy.
“Eh, it could be a lot worse.”
