Senior Open

Darren Clarke holed a 72nd hole birdie to win the Senior Open and avoid a play-off against his old Ryder Cup team-mate Padraig Harrington at Gleneagles.

As the darkness grew deeper near 9pm, Clarke found the front fringe of the par-five with his second shot. He rolled his eagle putt close enough and when playing partner Paul Broadhurst missed his putt he knew his tap-in birdie would seal a Senior Open to go with the Open he won in 2011. On the 17th tee he knew he had two holes to find a birdie or face a play-off against his old pal Harrington. He could only par the penultimate hole so it was on to the par-five 18th, where he had recorded a birdie in each of his first three rounds.

Darren Clarke and Paul Broadhurst will play in the final pairing on Sunday with a leaderboard full of threats in the Senior Open Championship.

While he's not won a senior major, Clarke won The Open Championship in 2011. Tied at one shot back are two-time senior major winner Jerry Kelly as well as Steven Alker, who won the Senior PGA Championship earlier this year. The final round is scheduled for Sunday.

A final round 69 was enough for Clarke to take the victory and avoid play-off against Harrington. He joined Gary Player, Bob Charles and Tom Watson as the sole ...

Darren Clarke birdied the last hole to beat a resurgent Padraig Harrington and win the Senior Open by one shot on Sunday.

For more information about cross-device matching, please visit the Network Advertising Initiative or the Digital Advertising Alliance. If you opt out of cross-device tracking for advertising purposes, we may still conduct cross-device tracking for other purposes, such as analytics. Information may still be collected and used for other purposes, such as research, online services analytics or internal operations, and to remember your opt-out preferences. Ad Selection and Delivery Cookies: These Cookies are used to collect data about your browsing habits, your use of the Services, your preferences, and your interaction with advertisements across platforms and devices for the purpose of delivering interest-based advertising content on the Services and on third-party sites. Social media platforms have the ability to track your online activity outside of the Services. This may impact the content and messages you see on other services you visit. Connected Devices: For connected devices, such as smart TVs or streaming devices, you should review the device’s settings and select the option that allows you to disable automatic content recognition or ad tracking. Browser Controls: You may be able to disable and manage some Cookies through your browser settings. Flash cookies need to be deleted in the storage section of your Flash Player Settings Manager. Third-party sites and services also use interest-based Advertising Cookies to deliver content, including advertisements relevant to your interests on the Services and third-party services. They are also used to recognize you and provide further insights across platforms and devices for the above purposes. You should read the Privacy Policy and this Notice for a full picture of NBCUniversal’s use of your information. Measurement and Analytics: These Cookies collect data regarding your usage of and performance of the Services, apply market research to generate audiences, and measure the delivery and effectiveness of content and advertising. You can set your browser to block these Cookies, but some parts of the site may not function properly.

Darren Clarke becomes the fourth men's golfer all-time to win the Open Championship and the Senior Open Championship.

Kept giving myself chances but the putter was a little bit cold all week as you probably saw. He fought back with a birdie at the 12th hole and then grinded out pars until his birdie putt on the final hole. Pars were almost a prisoner at the very start, and you’re trying to avoid making mistakes. “Don’t make it any easier, but you know at the start, it was a bit of a battle. Clarke’s third shot from about 30 yards away settled a couple feet from the hole, and he was able to knock in the short putt for birdie, clinching his first senior major title. From when I turned 50, this is the one you wanted to win, so I could set it beside the other one.

Get all of the latest Golf news from The Scotsman. Providing fresh perspective online for news across the UK.

"But to win the tournament I always wanted to win a as kid, the Open Championship and then to win this one. “It was probably about right, to be honest, and I’m happy enough with that as I don’t play a lot of competitive golf these days. Paul Lawrie raised the loudest roar of the day as he signed off in style by holing a 70-footer for an eagle-3 at the 18th. Beside some of the legends of the game as well, very humbled and very honoured.” “I made no secret that I wanted to win this one more than anything when I turned 50 so I could sit it aside the other one. A group of six players, including two-time Open champion Ernie Els and 2016 winner Paul Broadhurst, who had shared the overnight lead with Clarke on nine-under, finished a shot further back in joint-third.

Darren Clarke Makes History At The Senior Open Championship - Clarke joins Bob Charles, Gary Player & Tom Watson as the only player to win both The Open and ...

Now a freelance writer for Golf Monthly and the PGA, he covers all aspects of the game, from Tour news to equipment testing and buyers’ guides. After a sizeable break, play got underway at 8pm, as the 53-year-old made a par to start the final few holes. The final round in Scotland had been hit by Mother Nature, as the weather reeked havoc throughout the day.

Northern Ireland golfer edged out Padraig Harrington in rain-interrupted final round.

He just got me with a more simple swing thought and I was able to do it.” With Harrington in the clubhouse at 9-under, the had two putts to win the title and he delivered in style with a superb putt off the fringe to leave himself a simple birdie putt from a couple of feet. He also became only the fourth man to complete the unique double of the Open and Senior Open, joining Gary Player, Bob Charles and Tom Watson who was the last to do it in 2003.

The 53-year-old won the Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles in Scotland on Sunday, narrowly edging out Padraig Harrington.

With Harrington watching closely, Clarke deposited his drive onto the fairway. A par on No. 17 meant it all came down to the 18th hole, which he birdied in each of the first three rounds. Harrington applied more pressure to Clarke by closing out his day with a birdie on No. 18. They both tied for Sunday's lowest score and climbed 12 spots up the leaderboard after going five under. Things finally cleared up enough to get things going at 8 p.m. local time, which put the remaining competitors in a race against the clock.

Relatable. pic.twitter.com/HzTqmaYVqe 😂

Absolutely pouring and leader @darrenclarke60 stripes it. It looked like postponing the play until Monday was a distinct possibility. Clarke and Paul Broadhurst were tied at nine under through 54 holes. T-3. Paul Broadhurst (-8) T-3. Mauricio Molina (-8) He's done the double!

Only Tom Watson, Sir Bob Charles and Gary Player have previously won both The Open and Senior Open | UTV News.