Darcy, with a handicap of 12, turned professional at the age of 16, becoming an assistant at Grange Golf Club in Dublin.

Darcy finished third on the Order of Merit in 1975 and made that year's Ryder Cup team, his first of four performances.

Darcy's first European Tour win was at the Greater Manchester Open in 1977, handily defeating a trio of British golfers by 8 shots.

[4] In the off-season, Darcy would often play on the Australian Tour with much success, winning the 1980 Air New Zealand Shell Open and the 1981 West Lakes Classic.

Darcy was a consistent performer on the European Tour in the 1980s, finishing in the top 30 of the Order of Merit eight times.

In his last Ryder Cup match, he defeated American Ben Crenshaw on the last hole to secure an individual win and the team's 13th point.