SUNDAY JULY 17, 2011 – THE 140TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
DARREN CLARKE - 2011 OPEN CHAMPION
• His 14th European Tour International Schedule victory in his 460th European Tour event.
• Moves to €1,303,927 in The Race to Dubai.
• Moves into the top 30 in the Official World Golf Ranking from 111th.
• His first Major Championship in his 54th Major Championship appearance.
• This victory beats his previous best Major Championship performance of tied second in the 1997 Open Championship.
• Victory comes in his 20th Open Championship appearance. This is a record number of appearances for a player winning their first Open.
• At aged 42 years and 337 days is the oldest player to win The Open Championship since Roberto de Vicenzo, who was 44 years and 93 days in 1967.
• At aged 42 years and 337 days is the oldest player to win a Major Championship since Ben Crenshaw at the 1995 Masters Tournament, who was 43 years and 88 days.
• At aged 42 years and 337 days is the oldest player to win their first Major Championship since Roberto de Vicenzo, who was 44 years and 93 days in 1967.
OTHER FACTS
• Second consecutive victory in a Major Championship by a Northern Irishman following Rory McIlroy at the US Open Championship.
• Joins Fred Daly (1947 Open Championship), Graeme McDowell (2010 US Open Championship) and Rory McIlroy (2011 US Open Championship) as players from Northern Ireland to win a Major Championship.
• European Tour Members have now won the last six Major Championships. They are: Graeme McDowell (2010 US Open Championship), Louis Oosthuizen (2010 Open Championship), Martin Kaymer (2010 US PGA Championship), Charl Schwartzel (2011 Masters Tournament), Rory McIlroy (2011 US Open Championship) and Darren Clarke (2011 Open Championship).
• The 43rd Major Championship victory by a European Tour Member since Seve Ballesteros won The Open Championship in 1979.
• The 22nd different European Tour Member to win a Major Championship since Seve Ballesteros in 1979.
• At aged 42 years and 337 days is the oldest European Tour Member to win a Major Championship.
• At aged 42 years and 337 days is the oldest player to win on the 2011 European Tour.
• His second win of the 2011 European Tour season, following the Iberdrola Open.
• Becomes the third player of the 2011 season to record multiple victories, following Luke Donald (WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship, BMW PGA Championship and Barclays Scottish Open) and Charl Schwartzel (Joburg Open and Masters Tournament).
• The fourth time of his European Tour career he has won twice in the same European Tour season.
• His third European Tour win aged 40 and over.
• His 21st professional worldwide in his career.
• Gains an exemption into The Open Championship until the age of 60.
• Gains a five year exemption into the Masters Tournament, US Open Championship and US PGA Championship.
• Gains a place in the 2011 Grand Slam of Golf, WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and WGC – HSBC Champions.
• Gains a European Tour exemption until the end of 2018.
• Moves over €19 million in European Tour Official Career Earnings.
• The fourth Northern Irish win on the 2011 European Tour. They are: Darren Clarke (Iberdrola Open and 140th Open Championship), Michael Hoey (Madeira Island Open) and Rory McIlroy (US Open Championship).
• The 41st Northern Irish win in European Tour history.
