Darren Clarke has won the Smurfit European Open in front of 28,000 Irish fans today. He shot a closing 66, which included seven birdies to clinch the £333,330 first prize with a 15 under par total of 273. Clarke has become the first home winner of a European tour event in Ireland since John O'Leary at the 1982 Irish Open.
"This means a lot for a lot of reasons. Two years ago (after he lost a six-shot lead in the same event on the same course) I was as low as I've ever been. To go from that low to this high is great. I've won all around the world, but to do it at home is something special. I was calmer and more focused than I've ever been, better even than when I beat Tiger Woods last year," said Clarke.
Clarke was helped by an outrageous stroke of luck when his second shot on the 447-yard sixth flew left of the green, but hit a tree when it bounced before rebounding to within seven feet of the flag. He sank the putt for his third successive birdie.
However, Clarke did bogey the seventh. "I felt a little bit guilty and leaked one into the water," he said. Birdies on the next two holes from eight and twelve feet gave him a two-shot lead which he held on to, having thrown away a six shot lead in the same tournament two years ago.
After yesterday's frustration at going in the River Liffey and triple-bogeying the 17th, he gave himself a cushion by hitting his approach to four feet on the 408-yard 11th. He then holed from ten feet at the long 16th, after his caddy Billy Foster refused to let him hit a three-wood over the river with his second shot. "I was reaching for it and Billy said he was not letting me have it. He slapped my hand, and he was right," said Clarke. He played a cautious 17th and made his par five down the 537-yard last, knowing that he was home and dry, even with four players behind him.
Padraig Harrington took a share of third alongside Ian Woosnam and Thomas Bjorn, finishing twelve under par with a closing 70, in the 14th second place of his career.
Meanwhile, Danish golfer Thomas Bjorn claimed a £100,000 diamond for his wife Pernilla, as the first player to finish the par fives 14 under for the week.
Filed by Greg McKevitt
