Clarke gets his moment of glory

Darren Clarke used all his experience to seal his first major title

Going into the 140th Open Championship at Royal St George's, there was one Northern Irishman the whole world was seemingly talking about.

He was tipped to win his second major in a row and take his next step on the road to greatness.

But Rory McIlroy was to be overshadowed by another Northern Irishman. Not Graeme McDowell, who won the US Open last year, but Darren Clarke, who must surely have all but given up hope of winning a major.

It is quite incredible that a country the size of Northern Ireland - with an estimated population of 1.8 million - has produced three of the last seven major winners and Clarke's victory was the most unlikely of the three.

He has been a top player for almost 20 years but, at 42, he seemed to be on the slide and very few would have predicted him to break his major duck before the end of his career.

But he played magnificently over the four days at Sandwich to take his place in the history books and lift the Claret Jug. There has surely never been a more deserving or popular winner of the tournament in its 151 year history.

Clarke has always been a hugely popular player, whose career had up to now been defined by two victories in World Golf Championship events, successful appearances for Europe in the Ryder Cup and two near misses at the Open.

He was already a hugely respected figure in the world of golf but crowds have really got behind him since he played - very successfully - in the Ryder Cup of 2006 just six weeks after the death of his wife.

Clarke never let the pressure get to him as he saw off his rivals

Clarke has had a real tough time of it away from the golf course but he has done magnificently to get back to this level and achieve what he believed was his destiny.

He played fantastic golf for the first three days to go into the final round leading, but the way he held his nerve on Sunday was remarkable.

As competitors stumbled out of contention, Clarke just carried on playing excellent links golf and always seemed calm and completely in control of his game.

He is the oldest winner of the Open since 1967 and won the tournament at the 20th attempt, a new record for number of appearances before lifting the Claret Jug.

There is undoubtedly a new guard taking over golf, but Clarke's victory offers hope to all the old stagers who thought their last chance of glory had passed them by.

The likes of Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Ryo Ishikawa and Matteo Manassero will win multiple majors between them over the coming years but it is great to see players like Clarke still giving them a run for their money and still more than capable of beating them.

Can he go on to win more majors? It's doubtful, but this win has put the cherry on the cake of a very successful career which looked like it would fizzle out without a major title.

Clarke is popular among the public not just for how he has overcome life's adversities and not just for the quality of his golf, but also for the fact that most can identify with him.

He likes a drink, enjoys a cigarette here and there and carries a bit of extra weight. He seems down to earth and grateful to be in the position he is in, and so it is natural most fans root for him.

The Open Championship always throws up its fair share of great stories, and one of those here was that of Rickie Fowler.

The future's bright, the future's orange if Fowler is anything to go by

The 22-year-old Californian has always been tipped as a star of the future but his performance at Sandwich - he finished tied for fifth place - has confirmed him as very much a star of now.

His game seems ideally suited to links golf and this week will have filled him with confidence.

He has never won on the US Tour but on this evidence it won't take him long to break that duck.

Fowler seems an extrovert character with his orange clothing but his golf speaks for itself. He seems to do his business with little fuss and his inventive range of shots seem perfect for links golf. He is an Open champion of the future.

As for challengers to Clarke, there were only two men in realistic contention during the final day.

Phil Mickelson launched a real charge and was five-under for his round when he missed an easy par putt on 11. From then on his challenge faded and he eventually finished tied for second, but he should be very pleased with how he played in this championship.

Mickelson has traditionally struggled with links golf

His performance on the front nine on Sunday was simply sublime and some of the best golf seen for many a year, so it was a shame his game escaped him when a first Open title was seemingly within reach.

His struggles with links golf have been well documented but this was by far his best performance in the Open and should give him great confidence for future championships.

Mickelson may be 41 and perhaps approaching the twilight of his career, but he is still a world-class performer and as Clarke has proved, it is possible to win majors in your 40s.

Big-hitting Dustin Johnson was the other contender and he looked set to provide a major challenge for Clarke, but he went out of bounds on 14 - eventually double bogeying the hole - and that marked the end of his chances.

Three realistic chances of winning majors have now slipped away for Johnson

Johnson is clearly an exceptional player who is so long off the tee and a magnificent putter, but he seems to fall apart under pressure when he is close to winning majors.

His meltdown at last year's US Open is well documented and he also could have won the USPGA Championship in the same year, so this is an issue he will need to rectify before it becomes a mental block.

He deserves to win majors as he is a world-class player but unless he can overcome some mental frailties, the same situation will keep arising again and again.

Rory McIlroy couldn't get into contention at Sandwich but it is important fans and pundits do not expect too much too soon.

McIlroy could not reproduce the form which won him the US Open last month

He is a top talent and it is great he already has a major under his belt at just 22, but we shouldn't expect him to waltz away with every tournament.

McIlroy struggled with the weather conditions and many have said he will always struggle on links courses, but in reality that is an over-reaction.

We have a tendency to build people up in this country and then send them crashing down and it is important this does not happen to McIlroy as he has genuine talent and the possibilities for him are potentially endless.

The weather caught out many over the weekend but it provided the ultimate test of a golfer.

Not many birdies were sunk but it still provided a great spectacle and the intrigue never faded.

The stories of the two Toms - Watson and Lewis - encapsulated all that is great about the Open.

Youngster Lewis and veteran Watson provided one of the stories of the week

Two men at opposite ends of their careers, they both enjoyed a hugely satisfying and enjoyable week and go away with some wonderful memories.

It is great to see Watson still enjoying and competing at 61 while 20-year-old Lewis deservedly claimed the Silver Medal for being the best amateur.

Lewis is, remarkably, named after Watson and the duo played the opening two rounds together, so the Englishman should have learned a lot from playing with his hero and will benefit from the experience.

Lewis is a star of the future but for now it is all about Darren Clarke.

No longer the nearly man, no longer the man only known for drinking Guinness, no longer the man who everyone thought had missed his chance of glory.

Clarke deserved a major and never gave up on his dream but, in his heart of hearts, must never have believed it was going to happen when he was 42.

This was his defining moment and he grabbed the opportunity, refusing to be denied.

Everyone likes Clarke. The players, the fans, the caddies, the green-keepers, the sponsors, even those not interested in golf.

There has never been a more popular Open champion.