Clarke leads British

Published 3:30 pm Saturday, July 16, 2011

SANDWICH, England — Darren Clarke goes into the last round of the Open Championship with a one-stroke lead after shooting a one-under-par 69 at Royal St. George’s on Saturday.

The 42-year-old from Northern Ireland, seeking his first majors title, is five under par and facing a strong US challenge after Dustin Johnson and 22-year-old Rickie Fowler both carded the day’s best score of 68.

Johnson is 4 under, two ahead of Fowler and Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, while joint overnight leader Lucas Glover of the United States was one under alongside Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez.

They were the only players under par after a day that began with heavy rain and strong winds and ended in sunshine, while six players including three Americans were lurking on even par.

Clarke, who was tied for second at the 1997 Open in Troon, began with a birdie and shot two more to go with two bogeys for another below-par score to follow up his opening two rounds of 68.

The round could have been even better but for a few short missed putts by Clarke who has 21 professional wins and who won his first European Tour title since August 2008 with victory in May at the Iberdrola Open in Mallorca.

“I was fortunate to have full control of my ball flight and you need that playing links golf, but I didn’t have the speed on my putting at all and let a few shots go,” he said.

“The reception was fantastic — most of the crowd go with a normal guy who likes a pint.”

Clarke seemed unperturbed by the forecast of more rain and heavy winds on Sunday.

“I’ve done almost everything in the world of golf but a major has eluded me — but I’ve got a pretty decent chance, strong winds would suit me,” he said.

Johnson, who has had three top 10 finishes at majors since turning pro in 2007, shared the leaderboard for a time but dropped back a shot after a bogey on the 17th following a bunker shot to the green, signing a card featuring six birdies and four bogeys.

The 27-year-old was still feeling the effects of a virus as he begun the round and was pleased to avoid the rough weather that dogged competitors until mid-afternoon.

He will now partner Clarke on Sunday in contention for a major for a second successive year after the 2010 PGA Championship when he held a one-shot lead entering the final hole.

At the PGA, Johnson thought he had bogeyed the hole to tie him for first and a three-way play-off, but he then received a two-stroke penalty for grounding his club in a bunker, dropping him to a tie for fifth place.

After heavy rain and a blustering wind made it tough going for the early starters, the sun was shining in Sandwich by the time Clarke and Johnson putted on the 18th.

Fowler had to contend with most of the bad weather playing alongside Rory McIlroy, but he coped admirably while the newly crowned U.S. Open champion dropped back with a four-over 74 as his chances of back-to-back majors receded.

McIlroy began with a bogey and suffered when his tee shot on the par-five 14th went out of bounds, leading to a double bogey.

No other player had finished below or on par 70 until Fowler, who has yet to win a tournament as a professional.

However, he also was able to take advantage of improving conditions on the last third of his round as the rain stopped and skies cleared, scoring three birdies in the last six holes.

“It was obviously tough, but I managed to make a few birdies and move forward,” he said.

“The conditions started to ease up a bit. It wasn’t raining as hard and the wind let up a bit so I was able to hit some good shots and finished three under on the last six.

“I just needed to go out and make the best of it, my game feels good right now. Wherever it is tomorrow, how many shots back I am, I’m in a great position to give me a chance.”

Bjorn stayed doggedly in touch with his round of 71, scoring two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine, adding another bogey on the 17th.

Glover slipped back after three bogeys, but American Anthony Kim carded 70 — the day’s third best score — to join compatriots Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III, the South African George Coetzee, reigning PGA champion Martin Kaymer of Germany and Denmark’s Anders Hansen on even par.

All the early finishers were well over par in the wind and rain until five-time Open champion Tom Watson showed the way at 61 with a two-over 72 to lead the clubhouse at that stage and move to an aggregate four over.