Clarke celebrates British Open triumph

By Reuters

Published: July 19, 2011

Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland holds the Claret Jug trophy on the 18th bunker after winning the British Open golf championship at Royal St George's in Sandwich, southern England July 18, 2011. PHOTO: Reuters

SANDWICH:  Northern Ireland’s forgotten man Darren Clarke basked in the glory of a British Open triumph that will be celebrated by ordinary golfers the world over.

While the four rounds of golf the 42-year-old produced to win his first major were beyond even the wildest dreams of the vast legions of morning hackers, most could relate to Clarke’s relaxed approach to life.
“I like to go the pub, jump on Easy Jet, fly home, buy everybody a drink. I’m just a normal guy playing golf, having a bit of fun,” said the robust Clarke, the oldest winner of the British Open since 1967 and one of the most popular.
Mickelson, who had started the day five behind Clarke, produced a dazzling putting display over the front nine to wipe out the Ulsterman’s lead and join him at the top of the leaderboard on five under.
Mickelson reeled in the eventual winner with three birdies and an eagle to go out in five-under-par courtesy of some red-hot putting, and he might have had another had a birdie putt not lipped out at the eighth.
But Clarke then hit back with a 20-foot eagle putt of his own on the par-five seventh to move to seven-under and move two clear of Mickelson, setting the stage and grabbing the title.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2011.