Clarke is 4 clear at the Open Championship

Phil Mickelson has just made the turn in -5 30 with 5 birdies to charge into 2nd place behind crowd favourite Darren Clarke who is playing #9 at -7 having just eagled the downwind par 5 7th.

Clarke started his day by making a 12 foot par saver at the first, and has played steadily, if not brilliantly at times in a stiff SW wind, with the occasional squall thrown in.

Mickelson's putter is as hot as it has ever been at the Open Championship,remember he has only 1 T10 finish in 17 starts, but he is making everything and in fact has now just made a 20 footer at 10 to go to -6.

9th Clarke  just got a enormous break when his mishit approach from the rough skipped over deep bunkers 30 yds in front of the green and rolled up to within 30 feet and he 2 putted for par.. -7..
11th Mickelson just missed a tiddler to make bogey and drop back to -5
10th Clarke hits a solid drive on the par 4 into the light rough
12th Mickelson drive finds a deep fairway pot bunker.Has a good lie from 110 but pulls it right into green side rough

Johnson and Bjorn are hanging in at -3, Rickie Fowler is at -2

10th Clarke Has a good lie, knocks the ball down, rolls up to 10 feet
12th Mickelson chips it stone dead for par -5
10th Clarke   lips out makes par  -7  DJohnson makes birdie at 10 -4
13th Mickelson splits the fairway with a solid drive
11th Clarke hits 4 iron on the par 3 into greenside bunker, firm lie middle of bunker, huge ovation as he strides onto green..
13th Mickelson misses the green with 145 yard approach, makes a poor chip has 10 feet left for par, sloppy play from Phil who was red hot earlier on the front 9..
11th Clarke nice bunker shot to 4 feet
13th Mickelson misses 10 footer !! crucial drops to -4
11th Clarke  makes his 4 footer... -7 and a 3 shot lead
14th Mickelson drives it into the left rough on the par 5 in a rain squall
12th Clarke  drives in a squall onto the left side of the fairway on this par 4

Squalls keep blowing through RSG of the English Channel while the wind continues to blow with gusts up to 40kph. Players are getting a work out changing clothes to cope !!

14th Mickelson second shot lay up into the fairway
12th Clarke  160 yd approach. bounces it onto the green from the right side in 2 putt range.. Dustin Johnson plays a similar shot to 20' He is at -4 as well
14th Mickelson  133 yd 3rd on this par 5.. Nice shot 8' for birdie.
12th Clarke  rolls it up nicely not quite stone dead.. makes par -7 Dustin Johnson is now at -5 after making his birdie on 12
14th Mickelson misses again fron 8' stalled at -4
13th Johnson drives middle of the fairway..Clarke in the light rough right side
15th Mickelson running out of holes drives into fairway bunker on this par 4

Clarke -7  Johnson -5 Mickelson -4

13th Clarke approach bounces beside the flag just runs through the green. Johnson hits a nice gap wedge to within 12' good birdie chance
15th Mickelson out of bunker but short of the green
13th Clarke lags up to 2 feet, makes par  DJohnson has 12 footer to get to -6.. misses makes par  -5
14th Johnson in the fairway Clarke in the fairway on this par 5 with OB all down the right..

(for a full scoreboard click on European Tour)

14th Clarke lays up nicely right side of the fairway  Johnson  265 into the wind hits it OUT OF BOUNDS !! Clarke's 3rd inside 20'

15th Mickelson makes bogey....  -3
16th Mickelson onto the green on par 3 16th, misses birdie putt, misses par putt Now at -2
14th Clarke makes par.. -7  Johnson double bogey drops to -3

15th Clarke par 4 Drives his tee ball over the bunkers into right rough, depends on lie.. Johnson just hammers an angry drive right into the middle of the fairway

Darren Clarke is 4 shots clear with 4 to play

15th Clarke from deep rough bounces another over the bunkers just short of the green Johnson's short approach beside the green but not close Clarke lags up to 3 feet Johnson chips up stone dead makes par... -3.... Clarke makes par....   -7

Darren Clarke is 4 clear with 3 to play

16th Clarke to the middle of the green on par 3... Johnson same shot inside Clarke's
Clarke 35 feet left to right..lags it inside 3 feet below the hole..Johnson lags up taps in for par 3...Clarke rolls in his par -7

ESPN commentators making much of the Johnson's collapse after that iron approach back on 14 OB..  Looking back at US Open collapse at Pebble Beach then at Whistling Straights in the PGA..What about Mickelson who was so hot on the front nine and has made 5 bogey's on the back !

Darren Clarke is 4 clear with 2 to play

17th Clarke drives to the right side of the fairway, hits the approach just short of the green right..Johnson with a nice drive, 2nd 150 yards in, hits the green
18th Mickelson finishes with a big smile and a par on 18   -2  what a collapse.
17th Clarke with approach putt to within 3 feet  Johnson from the back of the green stone dead par 4  -3.. Clarke misses !! bogey 5  -6

Darren Clarke heads to a hero's welcome on the last hole 3 shots clear

18th Thomas Bjorn -1 and Rickie Fowler E are finishing up. Nice tourney by Thomas who was the story on Thursday and Friday, and Rickie who played so well in that wind and rain (68) on Saturday..
18th Clarke just smoked his drive, in great shape in the fairway Johnson alsoinplay after a drop  Clarke's 2nd just off the green in 2.. Johnson into greenside bunker

Here comes the greatest walk in golf, standing ovation for Darren Clarke, doffs his cap, fairway is 10 deep, holding the crowd back unlike the old days when they were allowed to follow the final pair up the fairway

Johnson explodes out to 15', Clarke putts across the green, 6 feet past.. Johnson misses par putt, bogey leaves him T2nd with Mickelson at -2

Clarke misses, taps in for bogey 5 he is your winner !! -5

So the man his friends call "The Prince", Darren Clarke is the Champion Golfer of the Year as we are about to hear at the presentation 68,68,69,70 275 -5 and is amazingly the 3rd golfer from Northern Ireland in 13 months to win a major, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and now Darren. It must be the greatest year in that little country's history.
He played brilliantly, with cunning and guile that a lifetime of links golf has endowed in him. He also played in a great spirit with a positive attitude in some awful weather, and was the best ball striker in the wind all week.

He is a very deserving winner of the 140th Open Championship..

Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles