Darren Clarke yesterday gave an extra reason why he enjoyed his win in
Shanghai on Sunday so much.
The Ryder Cup star still remembers that a journalist wrote last year that he was "continuing his inexorable slide towards oblivion".
Preparing now for the Spanish Open in Seville Clarke said: "I can take criticism when criticism is due, but there was no call for that. It was totally gratuitous and it's nice to prove them wrong."
A 40-foot birdie putt on the final green of the Asian Open gave the 39-year-old his first victory for three years - and, of course, his first since his wife Heather died two years ago.
Next week he is in Austria with German football legend Franz Beckenbauer at a dinner for a breast cancer charity, but first he is trying to shake off jetlag in time to challenge for another title.
"I didn't get back until Monday afternoon and I haven't had much sleep," he said before adding that an early night was not on the agenda last night because of Liverpool's Champions League semi-final second leg at Chelsea.
Colin Montgomerie, meanwhile, says he feels he needs to win twice in the next two months to be back on course for another Ryder Cup cap.
Montgomerie, back in action in Spain after re-marrying two weeks ago, is only 34th in the standings and unless he climbs into the top 10 by the end of August he will need a wild card from captain Nick Faldo.
Because he did not qualify for The Masters he has not played for five weeks and said: "I've never had that long off in mid-season ever, but I'm ready and feel I can put in a good performance.
"I'm not saying I will win here, but I'm playing eight of the next nine weeks and I've got to win twice.
"If I do that I think it will prove to him (Faldo) and everyone else I am still capable of competing.
"I found out with The Masters that if you're not playing you can't win. But it's up to me now."
His 12th place on last season's Order of Merit gets Montgomerie into the US Open and Open Championship.
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