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The Royal St George’s Recap series on TheOpen.com concludes with a review of the Championship’s last visit to Sandwich, 10 years ago, which proved a truly memorable occasion as Darren Clarke lifted the Claret Jug.
A 200-1 outsider at the start of the week, Clarke proved a class apart in his 20th Open appearance, ultimately finishing three shots clear of Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson to earn one of the most popular victories of recent times.
A player of proven pedigree, Clarke had long been viewed as someone capable of winning major championships, However, ahead of The 140th Open, many felt his chance of claiming one of golf’s biggest prizes had most likely passed.
Clarke knew he could still deliver at the very highest level, though, and his performance at Royal St George’s was certainly one to savour.
After relocating to Portrush the previous summer, Clarke had spent plenty of time refamiliarising himself with links golf. This experience came to the fore as he hit the front through 36 holes before holding his nerve superbly during the weekend.
Mickelson and Johnson each applied pressure at different points on the final day, but Clarke ultimately triumphed with comfort and was able to enjoy the glorious experience of coming down the last with a four-stroke lead.
For a full recap of The 140th Open in 2011, including details of Tom Lewis’ extraordinary start and a famous final-round charge from Mickelson, visit https://www.theopen.com/Latest/Royal-St-Georges-Recap-2011-Darren-Clarke.
The R&A