McIlroy favours fair weather

Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy will be seeing a lot of each other in the coming months - and perhaps new Open champion Clarke will be able to convince the 22-year-old that he can win in all weathers.

Pre-Open favourite McIlroy, winner of the US Open by eight shots last month, was only 25th at Sandwich and sounded pessimistic about his future chances.

"I'm not a fan of tournaments that the outcome is predicted so much by the weather - it's not my sort of golf," said the 22-year-old.

"I'm looking forward to getting back to America and getting back into some nice conditions.

"I'd rather play when it's 80 degrees and sunny and not much wind - and there's no point in changing your game for one week a year."

Links fan Clarke, whose victory will add to the calls for the Open to be played at Royal Portrush for the first time since 1951, and McIlroy are both in the field for next week's Irish Open in Killarney.

Then it will be on to the States for the world championship in Akron - Clarke won there in 2003 - and the US PGA, where they will play the first two rounds with their stablemate and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.

They also now have the Grand Slam in Bermuda later in the year and Clarke, £900,000 richer instantly and with a reported £2million sponsorship bonus to come, will next April make his first trip to Augusta since 2007.

He has become exempt for the following four Masters as well and can play in The Open until he is 60. Only three years ago he was back having to qualify for it - and failing.