The bellow let out on the 18th green by Darren Clarke when his 35 foot birdie putt rolled in for victory must have been loud enough to have been heard all the way to his native Ireland. Recording the 16th win off his career, the win at Tomson Shanghai Pudong golf course in China was his first for over 4 years.

Having missed a short birdie putt on 15 and then 3 putting 16 for a bogey (including a 2 footer for par) and bogeying 17, Clarke walked to the 18th tee joined on -7 by his playing partner Robert-Jan Derksen. Derksen drove into a fairway bunker while Clarke drove majestically down the center of the fairway. Derksen saved par with an excellent chip-in but Clarke was not to be denied and drained the putt for the one shot victory.

Clarke’s final round score of 73 was just enough in difficult conditions where a 68 from Henrik Stenson was the lowest round of the day. These conditions prevented anyone from outside the immediate pack from mounting a serious challenge and it was right that the final pair could only be separated by the final putt on the final green.

The difficulties in Clarke’s life have been well publicized but on his day he is one of the finest strikers of the ball currently playing golf and his victory is proof that while form may be temporary, class is permanent.