 | Clarke had not won a title for 14 months |
Darren Clarke describes his weight as "highly confidential." But there is no secret to what has made him a million dollars richer again.
Clarke's fantastic four-stroke victory in the NEC World Championship in Akron - a tournament boasting every single member of the world's top 50 - was the result of the Ulsterman sentencing himself to hard labour.
"I tend to work pretty hard," said the Northern Ireland man.
"People don't think that I do looking at me, but I do.
"Sometimes good things come out of bad things - I missed the cut in the US PGA, but I didn't play that badly and I couldn't wait to get practising again.
"Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday I prepared as well as I could.
"I played nine holes each day and they took me three hours each time.
|  This year my attitude has been very, very good |
"As opposed to just playing 18 and getting around as fast as I could I chipped and putted around each green. Bernhard Langer does it all the time".
Clarke finished top of the of the putting categories for the week.
"That's a major achievement for me," said the 35-year-old.
In the first five months of this year he reckoned he did not once break 30 putts in a round, but at Akron he had 23 in the first round, 25 in the second, 29 in the third and 23 again in his closing 67.
Time spent with Southport-based putting guru Harold Swash helped bring about that improvement, while swing coach Butch Harmon and mental coach Bob Rotella have also played their part.
"I've tended to get very annoyed in the past, but this year my attitude has been very, very good".
The win makes Clarke the first player other than Woods to win two world title events.
Coming as it did the week after Europe's barren run in the Majors stretched to 17 - since Paul Lawrie's 1999 Open win - it was a much-needed boost.
Boston appearance
Clarke is to be become a full member of the US Tour next year, but Europe will remain home.
""It will only mean playing two or three more events than I already do and that's no big deal".
He plays in Boston this week - and then two weeks later appears at Clandeboye near Belfast in a European Challenge Tour event rather than on the main circuit.
It will be an opportunity to raise funds for his charity foundation.
Then it will be down to the next business - trying to earn Ryder Cup points and to win the Order of Merit for the first time.
His win in Ohio lifted him from ninth to second behind Ernie Els.
MMIX
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