Golf News - Darren Clarke wins British Open at Royal St. George's
Last updated 7/24/2011 2:58:51 PM
Golf News - Darren Clarke wins British Open at Royal St. George's
Ireland became the centre of the golfing universe on Sunday when 42 year old Darren Clarke joined two time winner Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy in winning a Masters title in the last five years.
But this was not any old Masters, this was the top one, the British Open, at a wet and windy Sandwich course on the Kent coast which reduced a world class field to shivering wrecks with only FOUR of them finishing the four rounds under par.
It wasn't just one for the Bhoyos of Ireland, it was one for the boys, girls, men and women, who love golf and love nice people for the overweight golfing veteran brought a tear to many a grizzled countenance with his victory after 20 years of trying to land the Open.
It was shown just how popular this victory was when the man who chased him home, American Phil Mickelson, quietly hugged him as the presentation ceremony began when most eyes were on the top table and the coveted Claret Jug.
It wasn't because this was the Northern Irishman's first and long overdue Major but because of the circumstances.
A casual watcher might have thought the avuncular Clarke was looking at the clouds which had discouraged almost all of his rivals on the tough Royal Sty. George's course as he came to the end of his final round.
No, Clarke was paying silent tribute to his late wife Heather who died five years ago after a battle against breast cancer.
In fact she should have her name inscribed on the Claret Jug alongside her husband's for she seemed to play a major part as his ball skipped between bunkers, bounced off hills onto the green and his putts all seemed to take a true line while rivals cursed the contours of this tricky course on the Kent coast.
And every time one of the two challenging Americans, Mickelson and Dustin Johnson mounted a challenge, something happened to steer them off course.
Mickelson especially looked as though destiny was on his side when he murdered the front nine only to screw up a simple putt on the 11th and then watch his game slip away.
But the big American was overjoyed that his friend had, at last, won the title everyone thought he deserved.
It was Clarke who swallowed his own grief to talk to Mickelson and his wife Amy when she was struck by the same awful disease, not once but several times to help them through their bad days as Amy survived.
Mickelson said: "He couldn't be a nicer guy. There are going to be lots of players who will be extremely happy for him."
One of those was the absent Tiger Woods and another was countryman Rory McIlroy who Clarke had encouraged before his victory in the US Open last month.
Clarke was happy top share his triumph with everyone but especially his mom and dad who have followed his every stroke and his fiancée Alison Campbell who has helped him recover his life after Heather's death.
Clarke then enjoyed his pint of Guinness as much as his cheques made up of £900,000 prize money and two million from Mike Ashley who owns Dunlop and Sports Direct.
Clarke promptly dedicated his Open victory to his children and his late wife Heather.
He eventually won by three shots after shooting a level-par 70 to win his first major title, afterwards he paid tribute to Heather, who died in 2006, and their sons Tyrone and Conor.
"There's obviously somebody watching from up there and I know she'd be very proud. But I think she'd be more proud of my two boys," said Clarke.
"It's for the kids. They played golf at Royal Portrush in the morning and were watching on TV.
"Heather would probably be saying, 'I told you so'."
"I'm on Weight Watchers tomorrow morning," he quipped after completing his victory. "There's five points in a pint of Guinness... I think this could probably be a bad week for me to try and start."
The Sandwich tournament was the 54th major in which Clarke had played, and he had not had a top-10 finish for a decade.
But he said: "I've got here in the end. It may be the only major that I win, it may not be the only major that I win, but at least I've gone out there today and did my best, and my best was good enough to win.