• Open Championship, Final Round, Plays of the Day

Luck of the Irish

Darren Clarke overcame this tricky lie to start his final round with a par © PA Photos

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Gar-gantuan
When Sergio Garcia struck his tee shot on the par-four 495-yard fourth, walking off with a par would probably have been the aim. No-one had managed to birdie the devilish hole for two days, but Garcia failed to notice the recent statistics. After thumping his drive down the middle, the Spaniard left himself with a monster putt having left his approach some 80 feet away from the pin. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Garcia read the line perfectly, sending it down the slope and watching it break from left to right on its way to the hole. The pace was spot on and, to the delight of the expectant crowd, in it went to see him climb to two-over. The Spaniard even flashed a smile, and marked the moment by offering the ball to the girl carrying the scoreboard as a souvenir.

Dyson hoovers one up
When Simon Dyson struck his second shot at the par-five seventh, gasps of 'oh no' could be heard being muttered from the Englishman. The 33-year-old made a poor connection, the result an awful-looking shot that was aiming for the heavy rough. However, as the ball cannoned into the bank, it kicked right and rolled a further 20 yards straight down the middle of the fairway and onto the green. Dyson may claim he meant it, but there was nothing lucky about his putt, a 12-footer drained for the most unexpected of eagles.

No need for Alka-Seltzer
All eyes were on Darren Clarke as he began the day holding a one-shot lead. Keen to settle the nerves as quickly as possible, the Northern Irishman found trouble early when his tee shot parked itself close to some railings in the thick stuff. Undeterred, he dug his second shot out of the rough and found the green, although he was left with a monster for birdie. Still feeling the early tension, Clarke left his effort well short and a bogey looked on the cards. However, after addressing his ball twice, he sent his par-putt on its way and it rattled into the cup at a rate of knots - had it not it was going 15 feet past the hole.

Silver lining for Lewis
While he would always struggle to live up to his opening round heroics, amateur Tom Lewis proved he is a real talent, holding his nerve with a sublime eagle putt at the seventh. His final round 74 saw him finish on nine-over, but he won the battle with American Peter Uihlein for the Silver Medal, the prize for the top amateur. He is in esteemed company, with Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jose-Maria Olazabal all previous winners of the award.

Unflappable
With gusts of wind wreaking further havoc at Sandwich, the players out on the course were once again forced to battle the elements. Phil Mickelson came a cropper at the sixth, losing his cap during his backswing. One would assume the resulting shot wouldn't be a cracker but the American kept his concentration right through the swing and planted his tee shot in the heart of the green, 25 feet from the target. It may as well have been a tap-in, as he nonchalantly stroked home for birdie to take him to three-under for the day.

Wind-assisted
Not one to hold back with a driver in his hands, Dustin Johnson launched into his tee shot at the par-four fifth, carrying 340 yards. As he sent it on its way, a television antenna helped propel it towards the dance floor, leaving a bemused Rickie Fowler and Thomas Bjorn to look on as they lined up their putts. A poor chip from the back of the green meant Johnson was faced with a ten-foot effort for birdie, which he failed to sink.

Luck of the Irish
Looking to complete a very encouraging front nine, Darren Clarke looked in little danger as he addressed his second shot, just off the fairway at the par-four ninth. However, he struck it poorly and it fizzed towards the green about three foot off the floor. They say you need a slice of luck along the way at major championships and this was Clarke's, the ball somehow clipping the top of the bunker protecting the green and running onto the dance floor. His reward? A par, and 33 strokes for his outward nine.

Expectant winner
Nobody would ever accuse Clarke of being over-confident or arrogant, but it seems he expected to win The Open even before he started his final round. Upon draining the winning putt, the 42-year-old quickly produced a ready-made speech at the closing ceremony, which was either written in extremely impressive timing or after a few pints on Saturday night.

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