Open champion Clarke finds it hard to scale new heights

St Andrews: British Open champion Darren Clarke is finding it difficult to motivate himself after his remarkable win at Royal St George`s in July.

"I`ve done what I`ve always wanted to do -- got to the top of the mountain," Clarke told reporters on the eve of the Dunhill Links Championship. "So what else can compare to it? "If you ask anybody if they`ve achieved their lifetime goal, they`ll probably tell you `how do you keep, going and going?`” "What else is there to do? I`ve achieved my lifetime goal. I`ve managed to win the tournament I`ve wanted to win from when I first started playing golf, the biggest and best tournament in the world.” "I`ve no idea how people like (Olympic five-time gold medallist) Steve Redgrave do it, keep going for more." The 43-year-old Northern Irishman achieved his British Open dream at the 20th attempt. "What else can compare to it? Winning it again would be good," Clarke said. "I`m in every major for the next five years, so I`m going to have more chances." Another of Clarke`s goals is to make a sixth Ryder Cup appearance. With a huge haul of points on offer this week in the event played with an amateur partner over three courses, St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, he is aware he can launch his Ryder Cup campaign in earnest this week. "We`re playing for an awful lot of prize money this week, Ryder Cup points and world ranking points," he said. "I would dearly love to make the (Ryder Cup) team next year and I want to give myself every chance I can to do that." Bureau Report