GOLFERS come in all shapes, sizes and ages so it might cause some surprise to learn that the profile of those who end up lifting the Claret Jug tend to share some familiar traits. Indeed, cast a cursory eye down the list of winners over the past 10 years and those commonalities are not immediately obvious.
Darren Clarke was ranked No.111 in the world when finally emerging from the miasma of decades-old cigar plumes to win at Sandwich in 2011 at the age of 42. Alas, grey hairs, frown lines and a ranking in the hundreds are not foolproof measures for discerning whether a particular player is going to be hanging around as dusk settles on the 18th at St Andrews this Sunday. Yes, six of the last 10 winners have been over the age of 35 but there are three winners who have come from the 25 and under age bracket.
