Howard Clark (golfer)

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Howard Clark
Howard Clark.png
Clark in 1976
Personal information
Full nameHoward Keith Clark
Born (1954-08-26) 26 August 1954 (age 69)
Leeds, England
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st)
Sporting nationalityFlag of England.svg  England
Residence Knaresborough, England
Career
Turned professional1973
Former tour(s) European Tour
Professional wins14
Number of wins by tour
European Tour 11
Other3
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament T35: 1987
PGA Championship T80: 1996
U.S. Open CUT: 1992
The Open Championship T8: 1981

Howard Keith Clark (born 26 August 1954) is an English professional golfer who played on the European Tour for many years and had his most successful period in the mid-1980s.

Contents

Early life and amateur career

Clark was born in Leeds, England. He learned the game from his father, who was a scratch amateur. He won the 1971 Boys Amateur Championship and played for Great Britain & Ireland in the 1973 Walker Cup.

Professional career

Clark turned professional in 1973 and joined the European Tour in 1974. His first professional tournament win came in the 1975 Greater Manchester Open. [1] In 1976 he won the T.P.D. Under-25 Championship and his first win on the European Tour was two years later at the 1978 Portuguese Open. Clark's final tally of European Tour wins was eleven, including pairs of wins in four consecutive seasons from 1984 to 1987. He also won the individual title at the World Cup of Golf in 1985. His best placing on the Order of Merit was third, which he achieved in both 1984 and 1986. His form fell away in the early 1990s but revived for a time in the middle of that decade, and he made the top twenty on the Order of Merit in 1994 and 1995. His last season on the tour was 1999 and he subsequently worked as an on-course commentator for BBC Sport before moving to Sky Sports.

Clark played in the Ryder Cup six times and was on three winning European teams and also the 1989 team which tied the match and retained the Cup.

Amateur wins

Professional wins (14)

European Tour wins (11)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
115 Apr 1978 Portuguese Open −1 (71-75-71-74=291)1 stroke Flag of Scotland.svg Brian Barnes, Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Simon Hobday
229 Apr 1978 Madrid Open −6 (70-70-72-70=282)2 strokes Flag of Spain.svg José María Cañizares
329 Apr 1984 Cepsa Madrid Open (2)−14 (66-68-69-71=274)3 strokes Flag of Spain.svg José María Cañizares
428 May 1984 Whyte & Mackay PGA Championship −12 (64-69-71=204)*2 strokes Flag of England.svg Gordon J. Brand, Flag of Germany.svg Bernhard Langer
516 Jun 1985 Jersey Open −1 (71-69-71-68=279)1 stroke Flag of England.svg Warren Humphreys, Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Philip Parkin,
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Ian Woosnam
611 Aug 1985 Glasgow Open −6 (71-65-70-68=274)Playoff Flag of Scotland.svg Sandy Lyle
727 Apr 1986 Cepsa Madrid Open (3)−14 (70-68-67-69=274)1 stroke Flag of Spain.svg Seve Ballesteros
818 May 1986 Peugeot Spanish Open −16 (68-71-66-67=272)1 stroke Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian Baker-Finch
922 Mar 1987 Moroccan Open −8 (73-73-66-72=284)3 strokes Flag of England.svg Mark James
109 Aug 1987 PLM Open −17 (68-73-67-63=271)2 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ossie Moore
112 Oct 1988 English Open −9 (72-71-67-69=279)3 strokes Flag of England.svg Peter Baker

*Note: The 1984 Whyte & Mackay PGA Championship was shortened to 54 holes due to weather.

European Tour playoff record (1–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 1985 Glasgow Open Flag of Scotland.svg Sandy Lyle Won with birdie on second extra hole
2 1995 Murphy's Irish Open Flag of England.svg Stuart Cage, Flag of Scotland.svg Sam Torrance Torrance won with eagle on second extra hole
Cage eliminated by par on first hole

Other wins (3)

Results in major championships

Tournament19721973197419751976197719781979
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open
The Open Championship CUTCUTT13T44CUT
PGA Championship
Tournament1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
Masters Tournament T35
U.S. Open
The Open Championship T32T8CUTT26T52T47CUTT62T28T13
PGA Championship CUT
Tournament199019911992199319941995199619971998
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open CUT
The Open Championship CUTT80CUTT21CUTCUT70CUT
PGA Championship T80
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament 00000011
U.S. Open 00000010
The Open Championship 0000142313
PGA Championship 00000021
Totals0000142715

Team appearances

Amateur

Professional

See also

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References

  1. "Howard Clark, the former Walker Cup player..." The Glasgow Herald. 21 June 1976. p. 22.