The search is on for the next Darren Clarke.

The Dungannon man has formed the Darren Clarke Foundation to help Irish junior golf and discover the Irish stars of the future.

"I have a debt to Irish golf and I wanted to give something back to the Golfing Union of Ireland and golf in this country," said Darren. "The GUI has been very supportive of me all through my career. I've come up through all the ranks here and been given the chance to play golf all over the world as an amateur."

The Foundation will invite a group of 16 junior golfers to a special coaching clinic at Portmarnock from September 7-8.

"For a small country we've got a quarter of the Ryder Cup team from Ireland and if we can keep on producing players of the quality that we have at the moment that can only be good for Irish golf.

"Golf has been very good to me and I want to see good young Irish players, boys and girls, getting the opportunity to make similar progress in a game we all love.

"It's something that I've had on my mind for a few years and hopefully it will be a success. Who knows we might have another Tiger Woods out there. If we can keep on bringing kids into the game then hopefully that's going to make the game stronger and stronger."

"I hope to do that. I already try and give advice to the amateurs that I know are going to turn pro. I try and given them any advice I can. Hopefully, if some players come through this programme I'll be only too happy to give them advice."

The participants at the Clinic will be the winners of the four provincial under 18 championships, the Irish Boys championship, the under 18 girls' championship and the winner of the under 16 and under 17 sections of the Irish Boys Championships.

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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