He started contending again and moved back up the rankings, although he was still outside the Top 100 at the time of the 2011 Open.

Clarke opened with a pair of 68s and added a 69 in the third round. As the final round began, Clarke led by one over Dustin Johnson.

It was Phil Mickelson, who began the day trailing by five, blistered the front nine in terrible weather conditions with a 30. At one point, he tied Clarke atop the leaderboard.

Johnson made his own run at Clarke. After falling behind early, Johnson got back to within two after 13 holes of the final round. But on the par-5 14th - a par-5 Johnson and likely Johnson alone could have reached in two with the hole playing into the wind - Johnson hit his approach out of bounds and double-bogied.

By that point, Mickelson had let some shots slip, too, and Clarke was in the clear for the Claret Jug if he could play the final four holes without any major miscues.

And Clarke did that, finishing with a par of 70 to record a 5-under score of 280.

Clarke was the oldest British Open winner since Roberto De Vicenzo won the 1967 British Open at age 44.

2011 British Open Golf Tournament Scores
Results from the 2011 British Open golf tournament played at Royal St. George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England (a-amateur):