Darren Clarke is making a concerted bid to be named the next European Ryder Cup captain for the 2016 contest in America at the Hazeltine National in Minnesota. This has required Clarke, who can be a moody presence, to mount a charm offensive before January’s decision. Clarke, Open champion in 2011, is becoming much more visible around events and during the past week he has been noticeably more agreeable with the media. Charm offensive: Darren Clarke is making a bid to be named the next European Ryder Cup captain . VIDEO The Open Chanpionship: Final Round highlights . And a new slim-line look - Clarke’s . fitness programme has seen him shed more than four stone - can only help . with his image building. The captaincy decision will be made by the . three most recent Ryder Cup leaders - Paul McGinley, Jose Maria Olazabal . and Colin Montgomerie - plus European tour chief George O’Grady and a . further committee member. Miguel Angel Jimenez is likely to be Clarke’s main rival and the Spaniard will have the vote of his compatriot Olazabal and probably that of McGinley, who is not close to Clarke, with whom he contested the 2014 Gleneagles captaincy. But Clarke has the more stellar Ryder Cup record, especially at K Club in 2006 when he won three points from three matches a month after the death of his wife, Heather. ......................................................................................................... Newcastle owner Mike Ashley may not have attended any major championship during the 10 years he has had £2million riding on the result as part of his ‘no win no fee’ Dunlop sponsorship of Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke and David Howell. However, Sports Direct tycoon Ashley has still taken a significant stake in online company GolfDirect, who sell equipment and clothing. ......................................................................................................... Paul Faulkner, departed chief executive of Aston Villa, took advantage of being between jobs to be at Hoylake. Faulkner, who declined to take an unspecified job in another part of Villa owner Randy  Lerner’s empire, would like to stay in football. But leaving Villa means he has to stand down from the FA Council and the FA board where he had reduced the average age significantly. ........................................................................................................ Supporters of Peter Alliss, who bombard Sports Agenda if they see any negative comments about their favourite, should know he is always quick to bite back himself. Like describing this columnist on the BBC as an ‘inky-fisted peasant scribe’ for mentioning the 83-year-old calling Open joint runner-up ‘Robbie’ Fowler, rather than Rickie. And as for ‘inky-fisted’, what about Alliss’s 1983 bonkbuster The Duke, a sex novel about ageing golfer Duke Denton’s desperate attempts to recapture past glories - now available second-hand on Amazon for 1p but, conspicuously, not included among books Alliss lists on his official website. Business: Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has taken a significant stake in online company GolfDirect . McGinley goes AWOL . It seems wrong that European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley should be holidaying in Portugal during The Open. Especially when all his potential Gleneagles team have been at Hoylake - along with the Americans - playing in a tournament that best replicates the pressures of a Ryder Cup. In contrast, USA captain Tom Watson has played all four days in preparation for September’s clash. It is said that this is the only week when McGinley can fit in a break and missing The Open did not affect Bernhard Langer’s preparations for a European victory in the USA in 2004. AWOL: Paul McGinley is holidaying in Portugal during which his potential Gleneagles team were in Hoylake . Open champion Rory McIlroy will have the distraction - not that it proved to be one at Hoylake - of the court case over his representation agreement with estranged agents Horizon Sports Management dragging on until January after today’s discovery hearing in Dublin was postponed. A tactical error by the BBC has to be shelving an Open highlights show when Sky are going to be such strong challengers for the rights after 2016. The Beeb point to iPlayer and their website as places to catch up but a tailor-made programme used to be a key part of their coverage, at least until former head of sport Peter Salmon objected to there being ‘too many highlights in the highlights show’.
Darren Clarke bidding to be named next European Ryder Cup captain .
2011 Open champion has become much more visible around events .
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has taken a siginificant stake in GolfDirect .
Paul McGinley holidaying in Portugal while potential Gleneagles team have been playing in Hoylake .
Darren Clarke is making a concerted bid to be named the next European Ryder Cup captain for the 2016 contest in America at the Hazeltine National in Minnesota. This has required Clarke, who can be a moody presence, to mount a charm offensive before January’s decision. Clarke, Open champion in 2011, is becoming much more visible around events and during the past week he has been noticeably more agreeable with the media. Charm offensive: Darren Clarke is making a bid to be named the next European Ryder Cup captain . VIDEO The Open Chanpionship: Final Round highlights . And a new slim-line look - Clarke’s . fitness programme has seen him shed more than four stone - can only help . with his image building. The captaincy decision will be made by the . three most recent Ryder Cup leaders - Paul McGinley, Jose Maria Olazabal . and Colin Montgomerie - plus European tour chief George O’Grady and a . further committee member. Miguel Angel Jimenez is likely to be Clarke’s main rival and the Spaniard will have the vote of his compatriot Olazabal and probably that of McGinley, who is not close to Clarke, with whom he contested the 2014 Gleneagles captaincy. But Clarke has the more stellar Ryder Cup record, especially at K Club in 2006 when he won three points from three matches a month after the death of his wife, Heather. ................................................. .................................................. ...... Newcastle owner Mike Ashley may not have attended any major championship during the 10 years he has had £2million riding on the result as part of his ‘no win no fee’ Dunlop sponsorship of Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke and David Howell. However, Sports Direct tycoon Ashley has still taken a significant stake in online company GolfDirect, who sell equipment and clothing. ................................................. .................................................. ...... Paul Faulkner, departed chief executive of Aston Villa, took advantage of being between jobs to be at Hoylake. Faulkner, who declined to take an unspecified job in another part of Villa owner Randy  Lerner’s empire, would like to stay in football. But leaving Villa means he has to stand down from the FA Council and the FA board where he had reduced the average age significantly. ................................................. .................................................. ..... Supporters of Peter Alliss, who bombard Sports Agenda if they see any negative comments about their favourite, should know he is always quick to bite back himself. Like describing this columnist on the BBC as an ‘inky-fisted peasant scribe’ for mentioning the 83-year-old calling Open joint runner-up ‘Robbie’ Fowler, rather than Rickie. And as for ‘inky-fisted’, what about Alliss’s 1983 bonkbuster The Duke, a sex novel about ageing golfer Duke Denton’s desperate attempts to recapture past glories - now available second-hand on Amazon for 1p but, conspicuously, not included among books Alliss lists on his official website. Business: Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has taken a significant stake in online company GolfDirect . McGinley goes AWOL . It seems wrong that European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley should be holidaying in Portugal during The Open. Especially when all his potential Gleneagles team have been at Hoylake - along with the Americans - playing in a tournament that best replicates the pressures of a Ryder Cup. In contrast, USA captain Tom Watson has played all four days in preparation for September’s clash. It is said that this is the only week when McGinley can fit in a break and missing The Open did not affect Bernhard Langer’s preparations for a European victory in the USA in 2004. AWOL: Paul McGinley is holidaying in Portugal during which his potential Gleneagles team were in Hoylake . Open champion Rory McIlroy will have the distraction - not that it proved to be one at Hoylake - of the court case over his representation agreement with estranged agents Horizon Sports Management dragging on until January after today’s discovery hearing in Dublin was postponed. A tactical error by the BBC has to be shelving an Open highlights show when Sky are going to be such strong challengers for the rights after 2016. The Beeb point to iPlayer and their website as places to catch up but a tailor-made programme used to be a key part of their coverage, at least until former head of sport Peter Salmon objected to there being ‘too many highlights in the highlights show’.
Darren Clarke is making a concerted bid to be in 2011, is becoming much more visible around named the next European Ryder Cup captain . VIDEO Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has taken a Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley should be holidaying in Portugal during The Open. potential Gleneagles team were in Hoylake . Open