Darren Clarke had a smile on his face on a golf course again on Sunday afternoon – as he finally lifted the Claret Jug and the British Open title at Royal St George’s in one of the great stories of Irish sport.
Five years after the Irish nation shed tears with Clarke at the K Club’s Ryder Cup, just weeks after the death of his wife Heather to cancer, big Darren won his first Major.
Clarke followed his close friends Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington into the record books as a Major winner with a three shot triumph at Sandwich.
His win was worth almost a million and a half dollars in prize money alone – and he banked a $3million bonus from clothing sponsors Dunlop for his first Major triumph.
_________________________________________________________________
READ MORE:
Darren Clarke, overweight and a smoker, is golf's 'ordinary Joe' beloved by crowds
Darren Clarke says golf success due to being fat, new love in his life
_________________________________________________________________
It was fully deserved as Clarke led from start to finish on the final day of his 20th Open.
The highlight of his opening nine holes was a quite brilliant eagle on the par five seventh as he went to the turn.
He then held his composure as the raging winds and scattered showers battered the best golfers in the world and one by one the challengers from both sides of the Atlantic fell by the wayside as only four players finished under par.
Phil Mickelson had a peek at the winner’s enclosure with a brilliant 30 shots on the front nine then collapsed on the run for home as he finished on two under and alongside Dustin Johnson in joint second.
Johnson was on Clarke’s tail until he out his second into the out of bounds on the 14th and the Ulsterman extended his lead to three shots with four to play before he sealed the deal without a blemish.
The 42-year-old Clarke was greeted like the people’s champion by the huge galleries on every one of those 70 shots in the final round as he made his way slowly but surely to the 18th hole coronation.
Now back living in his native Northern Ireland and engaged to former model Alison Campbell, Clarke finally tasted that Major Magic as Northern Ireland celebrated a third major in just 13 months.
Not even a bogey five on the 18th and a level par 70 could dampen Clarke’s celebrations on the final green as he threw his arms to the heavens.
Manager Chubby Chandler then burst into tears as he hugged Clarke on the side of the 18th green before the trophy presentation.
Speaking to the BBC straight after the final putt of the 2011 Open Championship, Clarke revealed that his sons were watching at home in Portrush after an early morning round at the world famous links he now lives beside.
“It has been an emotional time – this win is for my boys,” declared Darren as he followed Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington into the Major winners’ enclosure.
“Everybody goes through difficulties and stuff and I have had a really tough one but it is fine. My boys were watching at home in Portrush and this is for them.
“We will have a long celebration now and I will be very, very hungover”!
Clarke held his nerve throughout Sunday’s win on a day when only four players finished under par for the tournament.
“It is all a bit of a daze but it is wonderful to have eventually won the Open and a first Major,” said Clarke.
“I just played sensible all the way around and the eagle at seven was great.”
Asked about winning the Open at his 20th attempt – a record – Clarke added:
“I guess I am a little bit different to everyone else but I always believed I could win it.
“I didn’t think my time had come and gone. I always believed I would get myself back up here and I always believed I would challenge and win one and now I have. It is wonderful.”Current US Open champion Rory McIlroy had to settle for a final round 73 and a seven over par title on his first competitive outing after winning at Congressional.
McIlroy even picked up a one shot penalty when his ball moved on the seventh green in a round and a tournament that just couldn’t finish quickly enough for the 22-year-old.
“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 a frank McIlroy afterwards.
“All the amateur tournaments I’ve won were played on links courses but they were all relatively calm. I’m looking forward to getting back to America and getting back into some nice conditions.
“That’s the Open Championship and that’s the way some years go. You either deal with the weather or just wait for a year when it’s nice.
“My game is suited for basically every golf course and most conditions, but these conditions I just don’t enjoy playing in really.
“That’s the bottom line. I’d rather play when it’s 80 degrees and sunny and not much wind.”
Ominously, McIlroy added: “There’s no point in changing your game for one week a year.
“I’m going to spend a few days at home now getting my swing back to where it needs to be. The wind sort of messes it up a little bit.”
6 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.allan07 | Jul 19, 2011, 02:11 AM EDT
Who cares about the bigoted gaa sport with their stupid rules. How can you become champions of the world with a sport that no-one else in the world plays. Get a life whoisit. I hate all gaeltic sport. Northern Ireland is the champions of golf (NOT THE SOUTHERNERS) Cant you get your stars. (Padraig Hopeless where was he). Of the US have tiger and hes been too busy playing around! HA HA. NORTHERN IRELAND IS NORTHERN IRELNAD AND WE DO NOT WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE ROI. I want NI to have our own rubgy team and that would stop our players from being insulted when the ROI play the nationalist soldiers song. Its a IRA song. How insulting is that? Wake you idiot. I would become part of North Korea than have anythng to do with the Free State. Question for anyone. Why does the ROI play foreign sports such as football, cricket and rugby anyway. I thought you lot invented GAA as you didnt like the foreign sports. WE NORTHERN IRELAND ARE DOING GREAT ON OUR OWN SO PLEASE US ALONE. THANK-YOU VERY MUCH.
whoisit | Jul 18, 2011, 07:11 PM EDT
@allan07 Firstly most people i know from northern ireland are big gaa fans, northern ireland doesnt officially have a flag, and im a big rugby fan but think its shameful that the irish rugby team had to do away with their national anthem in order to unite the country in a sport, maybe they should do as the soccer do,
citizen69 | Jul 18, 2011, 05:54 PM EDT
@Whoisit: In soccer, most people from N.I. don't shout for 'Ireland' as Northern Ireland have their own team and the Republic of Ireland have theirs. In Rugby there is a combined island of Ireland team that represents both countries. In varying golfing team competitions N.I. golfers may combine with others to represent the island of Ireland, Great Britain or Europe (and they're proud to represent all three)... But in individual golf the golfers are playing for themselves while representing their own country. On TV statistics or online leaderboards beside each Northern Irish golfer you will see the abbreviation NIR and the Northern Ireland flag. Whereas with golfers from the Republic you will see the abbreviation IRE and the Tricolour flag. Also, in regards to the ALL IRELAND i would say the majority of people in N.I. aren't really interested in GAA.
whoisit | Jul 17, 2011, 08:52 PM EDT
@allan07 dont get this whole "Northern Ireland" golf situation, when it comes to soccer ye shout for ireland, rugby ye shout for ireland, ye are proud of tyrone playin in the ALL IRELAND but ireland isnt good enough for ye when its an individual effort, maybe northern ireland should be allowed one team like england and america into the all ireland since ye are such a super state
Aughavey | Jul 17, 2011, 03:55 PM EDT
Congrats to another Ulster golfer on form. Northern Ireland leading the way. Time for the Open to come to Ulster.
allan07 | Jul 17, 2011, 02:52 PM EDT
Like i said in a previous article by sean on graeme mcdowell asking the silly question if Graeme Mcdowell was irish or British. I said Greame is Northern Irish and British. Likewise Rory Mcilroy and Darren Clarke. I said i wanted Darren to win the next major and today he has. I backed my words with cash on Darren at 150/1 with Bet365 at the beginning of the week. £200 at 150/1 so thats makes £30100 to collect. If you do not believe me look at my comments. To put the record straight all three golfers are NORTHERN IRISH (NEVER JUST IRISH) AND BRITISH. Being from the same county as Darren (Tyrone) i am so proud of him. Today is a great day for Northern Irish and British golf. (The Republic of Ireland had nothing to do with our success) So please dont include that lot from the south. Why should they steal our glory? To top it off Rory tweeted the British Broadcasting Corporation to state that it was a great day for NORTHERN IRELAND. NORTHERN IRELAND IS THE SUPER STATE OF WORLD GOLF. OWC our wee country has done us proud. Lets hope the pga championship provides another NORTHERN IRISH WINNER.