• Iberdrola Open, Round Four

Clarke shows experience to beat Wood to Mallorca title

Darren Clarke has now won 13 European Tour titles © Getty Images

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Darren Clarke produced a battling display, coming from behind to claim his 13th European Tour title at the Iberdrola Open in Mallorca - his first triumph for nearly three years.

The Northern Irishman was an outside bet at the start of the day, beginning the final round four shots adrift of overnight leader Chris Wood. However, the Ryder Cup vice-captain reined Wood in and a 69 was enough to hand him victory by three strokes.

Wood, hunting a maiden European Tour crown, appeared hamstrung by nerves and was soon on the back foot after a troublesome start. He bogeyed the par-three second and dropped another shot at the following hole, allowing Clarke, who drained a birdie at the third, to narrow the gap to one.

A double bogey at the short par-four 11th looked to have cost Clarke dear but Wood was so erratic on the back nine that he never really came under threat. Indeed, Clarke finished with aplomb, holing a birdie putt from the fringe at 14 before sinking another from six feet at the next. Three successive pars left him out on his own on six-under par for the tournament, giving him a first victory since the 2008 KLM Open.

Clarke, who spent his last three weeks on holiday in the Bahamas, said: "It feels pretty good. I got so down after my weekend in Morocco where I played poorly. I went on holiday with the kids and then worked on a few things.

"I feel for Woody, he was trying to win his first tournament. Things went for me."

Wood, meanwhile, was a shadow of the player who had performed so brilliantly all week. Prior to the fourth round, the Englishman had only made four bogeys but he made twice that number during Sunday's finale to sign for a 76, leaving him in a tie for second with fellow countryman David Lynn.

Ireland's Shane Lowry endured a torrid time as his game capitulated. A 63 on day three had put Lowry among the contenders but his fine effort was nothing but a distant memory after he bogeyed the first and double-bogeyed the second. Four birdies in five holes helped to restore the balance but more woe was to follow, with the 24-year-old shooting a dismal 39 after the turn to see him sign for a 74 and finish one-under for the week.

Jose Maria Olazabal was unable to reproduce his best golf, a 73 showing that perhaps the events of the last few days had finally caught up with him. Still, a tied-fifth finish was an encouraging result for the Spaniard.

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