Clarke masters the Open winds



Clarke sinks his final putt on the 18th

The latest big prize in golf, the 140th Open Championship at Royal St George, was won in battling style by Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland, the third of his countrymen to win a major prize in the last thirteen months.
 
The tournament started out with Rory McIlroy installed as one of the big favourites following his spectacular domination of the last major tournament, the US Open. He also led last year in the first round, until gale force winds blew him off course, and it would seem the weather did much the same to him this year. McIlroy never really got going. He did fair better than his compatriot (and until McIlroy won last month, the US Open champion) Greame McDowell. McDowell admitted that he had a poor attitude, lacking in self confidence and belief, missing the halfway cut by a number of shots.
 
It started off brightly enough, with reasonable weather. The two 'Toms' at opposite ends of their career catching the eye. Watson, at 61 years old winning his last Open in 1983, rolled back the years once again, even sinking a hole in one. Amateur Lewis, seemingly inspired by the player he was named (after and wasn't even born 25 years after Watson's last big triumph!) paired up with Watson and survived the halfway cut with comparative ease, ending up with the Silver medal as the top amateur.
 
Twelve men were separated but just five shots going into he final round of the windswept Kent course, but in the end only a few had any real chance of lifting the Claret Jug

40-year-old Danish star, Thomas Bjorn , a Ryder Cup vice-captain in October, who showed his emotions when asked what his father, who passed away recently, would have made of his first-round lead, eight years after blowing a four-shot advantage with three holes left at the same venue. Bjorn was consistent throughout, finally finishing a respectable fourth, and one of the few who finished under par for the tournament.

Darren Clarke, Leader going into the final round and finally a winner at the twentieth attempt. Runner up in the 1997 Open at Royal Troon and third at Royal Lytham in 2001 before today. But mostly the fans roared him on because of his incredible 2006 Ryder Cup performance, when he played shortly after the loss of wife Heather to breast cancer. Becoming a true great takes more than wins alone, and Clarke now has the full set.

Rickie Fowler going into the final round in third, is the new pin-up boy of US golf and one of America's big hopes to rival Rory McIlroy, with whom he seems inextricably linked. The pair were both the game's leading amateurs at the 2007 Walker Cup. But while the man from Northern Ireland has won on both the US and European Tours, Fowler is yet to land a professional victory despite three runner-up finishes Fowler along with Dustin Johnson, Chad Campbell and Anthony Kim (as well as Big Phil Mickelson) showed that there is life in American golf without Tiger Woods. Indeed five of the top seven were Americans.  (Woods continues to miss big tournaments due to a leg injury).

Dustin Johnson has been close in majors but he seemingly has a block when close, on the big stage. Last year he lead into the final round of the US Open, but the big stage got to him, falling away badly. Later that year, he thought he had secured a spot in a play-off for the USPGA, only to be penalised for an illegal shot. Finishing joint second with Phil Mickelson was a great achievement for the two Americans.

But the week belonged to Clarke, who became the oldest player to win the Open since Roberto Di Vicenzo, in 1967

Coming into the final round you would have expected some nerves. But Clarke with a huge eagle at the sixth, gave himself a two shot lead which seemed to inspire him further. Despite an amazing front nine, at one point getting to within one shot of the lead, before falling away, Phil Mickelson’s charge was just not enough. Clarke's playing partner Johnson's mistake at the fourteenth, when he was his closest challenger left Clarke with a lead he was not to relinquish. The wind failed to drop, but the sun tried to make an appearance as the Northern Irishman strode down the fairways with ever increasing composure and confidence. His adversaries fell one by one, but Clarke stood firm to take his first Major win by three shots.
 
Worthy champions we have seen before. I am not sure whether a more likeable and popular champion has been seen on these shores for some time.

  

Aaron Baddeley tees off in better weather at Sandwich