Darren Clarke won the Open Championship and the PGA Championship in the same season.
The 53-year-old Scottish golfer beat Padraig Harrington by a sliver of a stroke to claim the Senior Accessible Championship at Gleneagles on Sunday.
After a birdie at No. 18, Clarke finished at 10 under par and avoided a playoff. This year’s Senior Open Champion joins the ranks of three men who have won The Open Championship: Gary Player, Tom Watson, and Bob Charles.
He’s done the double! @DarrenClarke60 wins The #SeniorOpen Presented by @ROLEX 🏆 pic.twitter.com/m02iHvqPPz
— Legends Tour (@euLegendsTour) July 24, 2022
Senior Open Leaderboard
1. Darren Clarke (-10)
2. Padraig Harrington (-9)
T-3. Mauricio Molina (-8)
T-3. Doug Barron (-8)
T-3. Ernie Els (-8)
T-3. Thongchai Jaidee (-8)
T-3. Steven Alker (-8)
T-3. Paul Broadhurst (-8)
9. Colin Montgomerie (-7)
Through 54 holes, Clarke & Paul Broadhurst were tied for the lead at nine under par. Broadhurst started the fourth round with a bogey on the second hole, and he soon found himself in serious trouble.
On the 18th hole, he had a chance to take a share of the lead, but he settled for par to remain eight under par.
“No idea where it went.” 😂
Absolutely pouring and leader @darrenclarke60 stripes it.
Relatable. pic.twitter.com/HzTqmaYVqe
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) July 24, 2022
The golfers were forced to put up with a long delay due to bad weather. Early in the round, rain began to fall in buckets,
and the course began to flood. It appeared that the play would have to be postponed until Monday at the earliest.
At 8 p.m. local time, the remaining competitors were in a race against the clock to get things started.
Soggy fairways and greens hampered the ball’s movement, but the conditions remained challenging throughout the tournament.
The groundstaff are working hard to get us back under way 💪#SeniorOpen pic.twitter.com/wiMqNJfnoV
— Legends Tour (@euLegendsTour) July 24, 2022
Mauricio Molina & Doug Barron, who were already in the clubhouse, may have had a better sense of their chances of making the playoffs.
Sunday’s lowest score was tied by them both, and they both climbed 12 places on the leaderboard after shooting five under.
The top of the leaderboard was crowded. Clarke was eight under par when he settled for a par on the 15th hole.
When Harrington sunk a birdie putt on the 18th hole, he put more pressure on Clarke.
Before he approached his ball and sank the putt, he made a point of inspecting his line from every angle.
The two-time Open Champion finished with a three-under-par 67 in the final round.
Even if Clarke made a birdie on the final two holes, the tournament would still be decided. After a bogey on the previous hole, he had to rely on his birdies on the 18th to win the tournament.
It’s a birdie-birdie finish for @padraig_h and he leads in the clubhouse at -9 🐦#SeniorOpen pic.twitter.com/BVvscZagXb
— Legends Tour (@euLegendsTour) July 24, 2022
Clarke’s drive was watched closely by Harrington as he landed on the fairway. Even though his approach shot landed a few feet short of the hole, he pressed on with the hope of making a birdie.
That was the right decision, as he easily negotiated the tricky green.
Even though Clarke didn’t shoot a flawless round, he managed to keep his nerve and hit the crucial shots when he needed to. If read more latest posts like this so stay tuned to Our Website TheActiveNews.Com.