By winning by a single stroke with a birdie at the 18th hole, Darren Clarke became the fourth player in history to win both The Open and Senior Open Championships.
Mother Nature dealt a blow to the championship match in Scotland, as the daylong bad weather caused mayhem. Nevertheless, despite a hold-up on the back nine, Clarke kept his composure, sinking several significant putts before a spectacular two-putt birdie at the last won him the victory.
Darren Clarke maintained his reliable tee-to-green performance in the fourth round, starting as the overnight leader and putting comfortably on the fairways and greens throughout Gleneagle’s layout.
Padraig Harrington, a fellow Ryder Cup teammate, quickly overtook Clarke as the closest challenger after moving up the leaderboard with a back nine score of six under par and setting a clubhouse goal of nine under par.
In a tie for the lead with Harrington going into the final hole, Darren Clarke hit his second shot to the fringe, knowing that a putt would seal the victory and give him a place in Open and Senior Championship history alongside Tom Watson, Gary Player, and Bob Charles.
After smashing his putt from well over 60 feet, which landed only a foot from the flag, Darren Clarke was able to claim the trophy and earn his fourth PGA Champions Tour victory.
