
Darren Clarke, celebrating his 2011 British Open victory.
It had been 63 years since the country of Northern Ireland has won a major tournament in the world of golfing, with the last being Fred Daly in 1947, just two years after the end of WWII air raid golf. Now, Northern Ireland has three of the last six major tournaments. Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell have won the last two US opens, and now Darren Clarke has won the British Open. Clarke coasted to a victory yesterday at Royal St. George’s golf course in Sandwich, Kent, after second-place Dustin Johnson hit a shot out of bounds on the wind-swept course on the English Channel.
“I’m a bit of a normal bloke, aren’t I?” said Clarke, who won the British Open in his 20th start; no other person had gone more than 15 starts without a win. “I like to go to the pub and have a pint, fly home, buy everybody a drink, just normal. There’s not many airs and graces about me. I was a little bit more difficult to deal with in my earlier years, and I’ve mellowed some. Just a little bit. But I’m just a normal guy playing golf, having a bit of fun.”
Meanwhile, five of the top seven finishers were Americans, but the US continues in its longest Majors drought in Grand Slam era golf. Still, if ever a guy deserved to hoist the claret jug, it’s Clarke.
Tags: 2011 British Open, Open Championships, Sandwich, Kent, Darren Clarke, Northern Ireland, Darren Clarke wins the British Open, Royal St. George’s, Darren Clarke British Open, sports, golf, PGA tour, professional golf, majors, claret jug