“However I’ve received my title on the Jug, and I’ve my title on the Senior Jug, and I’d really feel unhealthy taking the spot away from a younger child.
“I used to be a younger child as soon as, so to take a spot away from a younger child who could fulfil his dream of taking part in the Championship, positive, I’ve achieved mine. I do not know what I’ll do.
“Royal Portrush, as everyone knows, could be very particular. The fellows all cherished it the final time we had been there.
“I feel the golf course goes to current a very reasonable problem because it did the final time. And I feel Rors shall be seeking to do a bit higher than he did the final time too. It is going to be thrilling to get to get again to Portrush once more. Simply sensible.
“However I have been fascinated with it quite a bit. I am 55 now, and I will be 56 subsequent yr for the Open at Portrush and it might be my final one and thanks very a lot, that is sufficient for me and I can provide some younger child a chance that I had each time I used to be beginning off.
“So we will see, however I’m actually trying ahead to being again in Portrush.”
Clarke was delighted to play all 4 rounds at Royal Troon and was severely impressed by McKibbin (21), who has now made the minimize in his first two majors.
The Newtownabbey star closed with a 74 to complete tied 67th on 12-over, having tied for forty first on his debut in final month’s US Open.
“Yeah, sensible,” Clarke stated of McKibbin. “Tom’s received an enormous future. I performed a apply spherical with him and Rory, and we’re sitting in there afterwards, and I stated, ‘Tom, simply you keep in mind down the road at some stage, sitting in right here and having this dialog. That is my thirty second Open and it is your first’.
“So he is an amazing younger child. I am going to spend so much of time with him making an attempt to tighten up just a few bits and items, however he is received an enormous future. Big.”
McKibbin, who appears to be like prone to win his PGA TOUR card through the Race to Dubai, was not doing cartwheels over his efficiency at Troon.
“Yeah, very common most likely,” he stated after rounds of 73, 72, 77 and 74. “I used to be all proper. Two good rounds, an honest spherical and a fairly horrible spherical, however total it was all proper.”
Happy to make the minimize in his first two majors, he stated: “I feel I stated a few months in the past if I’ve performed within the final two majors and made each cuts, I’d have taken it.