UNITED KINGDOM/FILE: GOLF- Darren Clarke says friendship was the key to Europe's Ryder Cup win over the USA

Friendship was the key to the European team's emphatic Ryder Cup victory over the United States in September, according to Britain's Darren Clarke. He explained : " We all know each other so well anyway because we all play the same tournaments around the world and we do tend to spend a lot of time in each other's company even when we're not playing in the Ryder Cup. We've built friendships over a very long time and its great to get us all together in one room. I was behind the Guinness pump most of the time and the rest of the team were eating but we had a really enjoyable time. We had a lot of fun. if one person makes one little mistake, the rest of us are on to them, it's just like a bunch of guys together and we have a bit of fun." Clarke said the special spirit extended to their American rivals at the K Club. "There was a lot of friendship between the two teams," he said. "A lot of things have happened this year, Tiger lost his Dad, Chris DiMarco lost his Mum and I lost my wife, that made it a bit of a different atmosphere than in previous Ryder Cups. " "But because we all play around the world now, and we Europeans play a lot of golf in America, we all know the guys so much better than we used to. "There's still a huge will to win, you want to beat each other by as much you can, but as soon as the ball goes in the hole at the end of the match, we're back to being friends again." Clarke told Reuters on Monday, as he signed copies of his new book Heroes All, My Ryder Cup Story 2006, that next captain Nick Faldo would be perfect to defend the trophy in the United States in two years time. " I think he'll be fantastic, " he explained. " He was very methodical, very thorough when he played on the tour. He's the best golfer we've ever produced. Six majors is a big tally and I think he'll be very much on the ball with what he's going to do and the way he's going to prepare and I think he'll be a great captain." The 38-year-old from Northern Ireland, whose wife died of cancer in August, said he was one of several Europeans who could give world number one Tiger Woods a run for his money in 2007. Clarke, who will spend the rest of the year at home with his two young sons, plans to return to competitive golf when Europe take on Asia at the Royal Trophy in Bangkok in January.

ITN Source | November 28, 2006

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