Clarke Wins British Open
Darren Clarke carded a final-round 70 to defeat Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson by three strokes and claim his first Major Championship (54 starts). It was the third win on the PGA TOUR and 14th on the European Tour. The 42-year-old Clarke becomes the second player from Northern Ireland to win the British Open (Fred Daly, 1947, Royal Liverpool). He is the fourth to win a Major Championship (and second straight), joining Daly (1947 British Open), Graeme McDowell (2010 U.S. Open) and Rory McIlroy (2011 U.S. Open).
Phil Mickelson’s runner-up finish is his seventh in 76 Major Championship starts. It is his 32nd top-10 finish, with victories at the 2004, 2006 & 2010 Masters Tournament and the 2005 PGA Championship. Mickelson (68) entered the final round on Sunday five strokes behind Darren Clarke, marking just the second time in 18 British Open starts he entered the final 18 holes within six shots of the lead. At the 2004 British Open he trailed Todd Hamilton by two strokes, fired a final-round 68 and finished one stroke out of the Hamilton-Ernie Els playoff.
Dustin Johnson, a four-time PGA TOUR winner, finished T2 in his third British Open start (MC-2009, T14-2010). The runner-up finish is the second of Johnson’s career (2011 WGC-Cadillac Championship). Johnson has now been in the final pairing
twice this year. Before the British Open, he carried a two-shot lead into the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship before a 1-under 71 left him two strokes behind Nick Watney.
Thomas Bjorn (65-72-71-71—279) finished fourth in his bid to seek redemption at Royal St. George’s from the 2003 British Open, where he entered the 16th hole with a two-shot lead before finishing double bogey-bogey-par to finish one stroke behind champion Ben Curtis. On Thursday, Bjorn birdied the par-3 16th hole, with pars the last two days.
Rickie Fowler finished T5 in his seventh Major Championship appearance. Fowler is in search of his first win on the PGA TOUR. He made his 53rd career start this week, with career-best runner-up finishes at the 2010 Memorial Tournament, 2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open and 2009 Frys.com Open.
At the age of 61, Tom Watson finished 6-over 286 for his best 72-hole score in five British Open starts at Royal St. George’s (286—2011, 290—2003, 290—1981, 294—1985, MC—1993). Watson’s T22 finish was his 69th top-25 finish in 133 Major Championship starts. Watson, a five-time winner of the British Open, made his 620th start (39 wins) on the PGA TOUR this week. In addition, he has 146 starts on the Champions Tour (14 wins). This week represented his 24th made cut in 34 British Open starts.
U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy finished T25 in his attempt to become the first player since Padraig Harrington in 2008 to win two majors in one year (British Open, PGA Championship). Rory McIlroy was attempting to become just the seventh player to win the U.S. Open and the British Open in the same season, and the first since Tiger Woods in 2000. The list includes Woods (2000), Tom Watson (1982), Lee Trevino (1971), Ben Hogan (1953), Gene Sarazen (1932) and Bobby Jones (1926 and 1930).
Final-Round Leaderboard
Darren Clarke 68-68-69-70—275 (-5)
Phil Mickelson 70-69-71-68—278 (-2)
Dustin Johnson 70-68-68-68—278 (-2)
Thomas Bjorn 65-72-71-71—279 (-1)
