Darren Clarke Wins The Open Championship
Darren Clarke managed to keep his nerve during the final day of The 140th Open Championship to achieve his first ever major title with a three-shot lead.
The 42-year-old player became the third Northern Ireland player with recent wins in major golf tournaments after Rory McIlroy’s win the 2011 US Open and Graeme McDowell’s victory at the same tournament the previous year.
Clarke defied the blustery winds and torrential rain over the four days, often suffering the worst of it with impeccable golf from tee to green. Only on the green did he make a few mistakes which in the end didn’t prove to be costly as his opponents struggled to stay on the fairway and out of hazards on a very tough Royal St. George’s.
The Open Championship Logo
Two American’s, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson managed to maintain pressure on the Northern Irishman until the very end. Four-time major champion, Mickelson in particular rallied up the leaderboard hitting three birdies and an eagle on the front 9. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make the same impact on the last 9 with one birdie and three bogies to finish at 2 under par and three shots away from Darren Clarke.
One of the statistics mentioned in commentary was that a player hadn’t won The Open Championship after more than fifteen attempts. A record that no longer exists as it was the 20th time Clarke has played in The Open Championship. He is also the first UK winner of The Open Championship since Paul Lawrie in 1999.
Author Bio
I love golf but don’t play nearly enough. My favorite club is my trusty Taylor Made Supersteel 5 wood, I use it off the tee, on the fairway and in the rough. I’ve been writing for Golf & Course for nearly a year.
