DARREN CLARKE grabbed a large slice of Colin Montgomerie's glory when he snatched the German Masters title from under the nose of the European number one in Berlin yesterday.
The big Ulsterman shot a brilliant closing round of 63 at the Motzener See Club for a 24 under par total of 264 to finish one ahead of Mark Davis who had a career best 62. Paul Broadhurst was third, with Montgomerie in fourth place after his second 65 of the weekend.
It was Clarke's first victory since he defeated Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros to win the Alfred Dunhill Open in Belgium three years ago, and it could not have arrived at a better time.
By winning £108,330, Clarke has thrust himself to the forefront of Ryder Cup qualification and hit peak form on the eve of Ireland's quest for another victory in the Alfred Dunhill Cup at St Andrews this week.
The Irish team will be travelling to the home of golf in high spirits, for Paul McGinley (65) and Padraig Harrington (68) were fifth and eighth, and the trio were a cumulative 63 under par.
McGinley, who finished on a 20 under 268, won £23,260. Harrington, who was a stroke behind collected £13,930, but failed to increase his slender lead over Denmark's Thomas Bjorn in the race for Rookie of the Year honours.
Bjorn charged to a last round 63 to catch Harrington on 269 and will expect to wipe out his deficit of £489 when he plays in the Oki Pro Am in Madrid this week while Harrington is otherwise engaged at St Andrews.
"The Ryder Cup points I have earned are far more important than the money," said Clarke. "I knew that once I had got back my putting touch I was playing well enough to win again. Now my goal is to get into the top six when I play in the Volvo Masters, so I can get a crack at the US Masters next year. Long term, I am aiming at the Ryder Cup team next September."
Clarke now has 163.613 Ryder points and occupies fourth place in the qualifying set. He has moved up to seventh in the order of merit with £298,670.
Once he had collected the birdie four on offer at the second to catch overnight leaders Peter Baker and Broadhurst, he found inspiration for his onslaught after stroke of good fortune at the fourth.
Clarke sank a wedge shot of 111 yards for an eagle two there, and a birdie down the long fifth was followed by a 25 foot putt for a two at the seventh that sent him to 20 under par and into a two stroke lead.
A third birdie four at the eighth and another excellent pitch to the ninth, that put him six feet below the hole, saw him turn in 30.
Further birdies at the 13th and 5th sent Clarke nine under for the day and 24 below the card to be in control.
But up ahead Davis and Montgomerie were still attacking furiously, and behind him Harrington and Broadhurst remained a threat. Montgomerie had made little of the first four holes, but an eagle from 45 feet at the eighth galvanised his lap of honour. He holed from 35 feet on the next green to be out in 32, and cruised to his second 65 of the weekend.
However, Davis ensured he would not get the fourth win of the season he was seeking by having an eagle and eight birdies to leave Clarke with the task of parring the last three holes for victory. A birdie from 25 feet at the 17th gave Clarke a vital cushion, and he could well afford the bogey he took at the last.
He was in no mood to dice with
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