Congratulations to Darren Clarke on his Open Championship victory at Sandwich, I had my doubts about his ability to hold on and I am delighted to be proved totally wrong (yet again). I couldn’t think of a more popular winner.
In the end it looked quite easy for Clarke and it has capped a remarkable period for Northern Ireland golf, of which there is surely plenty more successes to come.
During Mickelson’s remarkable front 9 charge, I thought he was going to do to Clarke what he did to Clarke’s great pal Lee Westwood in the Masters back in 2010.
Clarke’s eagle at the 7th seemed to knock the wind out of Mickelson’s sails and when Phil missed a short par putt at the 11th, the American’s Championship was effectively over.
Dustin Johnson slightly came back into things on the back 9 to ensure it wasn’t a Clarke procession. There was also a hairy moment at the 17th when there could have been a 2 shot swing back towards the American, but in the end it didn’t materialize.
I’m going to make another prediction about Clarke which I hope proves to be wrong. I believe this will probably be his only major win, given the stage of his career he is at.
I also think if Clarke was offered a major, he would have chosen the Open Championship. Along with his 2006 Ryder Cup performance, it is the defining moment of his career.
I’m sure one prediction I did get right was the one I made at the end of the last post in which I wrote that if Clarke did win, Sandwich might run out of Guinness – and hopefully it did…….eventually.
