Clarke's charge not enough to pip Leaney

Darren Clarke provided the second glorious failure at Hilversum yesterday in the Dutch Open final round as victory was denied him by a single shot by Australia's Stephen Leaney.

After Justin Rose carded a thrilling 65 to miss the cut by a stroke, Clarke went two better, storming to a course record 63 but missing victory by a single stroke as he pushed Leaney all the way to the last. Clarke's eight-under-par return carried him through the field from five strokes behind the Australian going into the final round.

Only a crushing three-putt bogey on the 10th proved to be the difference between a chance of a playoff for his second tour success this year and the runner-up spot he had to accept.

The England-based Leaney's 67 for 18-under-par would normally have been enough to carry him to a clear win, but that was not accounting for Clarke's astonishing turnaround in form.

On Saturday night after shooting a 67 in the third round, he confessed to not knowing where his game was going, astounded he could even be in contention his swing was so bad.

He even contemplated giving up the idea of trying to regain his touch through lengthy practice work, deciding he would just relax and have a beer on Saturday night.

In the end, he did both, and the result was that a confusing chapter of events saw him to an eagle and four birdies over the opening holes to have everyone looking nervously at the leaderboard at his passage through the field.

By the turn he had drawn to within a stroke of Leaney. But then came the crucial moment. On the short 10th Clarke nearly put his tee shot over the green but his ball came to rest some 60ft away on the fringe. As the nap of the early part of the green caused an anchoring effect, his ball pulled up eight feet short. He missed the putt and there lay the rub.

At the 12th, too, he should have birdied to make up for his indiscretion but missed a three-footer after a stunning bunker shot. That didn't lower his spirits, though, and birdies from about 15ft on the 13th and 14th saw him charge back to within a stroke of Leaney again.

It was always catch-up, however, and when the long-time leader added another birdie at the 17th, with Clarke then two behind, it was all over. Even though the Irishman courageously made a four-foot birdie putt on the last, after landing between bunker and grandstand, it was never going to be enough. Leaney merely needed to par at the last and, after a little adventure, made sure he did that with two putts from 40ft.

While Leaney collected £133,330 Clarke's consolation was a cheque for nearly £90,000, which carried him to fourth on the European rankings.

Lee Westwood strangely did not provide the challenge expected of him and had to accept a share of third place with Nick Price, a stroke in arrears of Clarke. But with a late chip in, Westwood enhanced his lead at the top of the European rankings list to over £150,000.

There was a separate Irish battle going on all week, as it will be for the next two events, before the Dunhill Cup pair to play with Clarke are selected on August 17th.

Philip Walton played catch-up nicely by finishing tied 11th to earn £12,773 for nine under par with a closing 70, increasing his earnings with a last hole birdie, a crushing irony because he double-bogeyed it the day before to lessen his cheque.

But he is now only £12,000 behind Padraig Harrington in the race for St. Andrews, because Harrington slept badly with a 75 for only one under par and finished in a lowly 51st place which only earned him £3,500.

Paul McGinley still has the last lap to complete for one of the Dunhill places, but increased his chances of qualification with yet another brave finish, birdying the last two holes for a respectable enough 71.

That was his third successive 71 when he could have easily looked at 75s each time. He earned £6,180 for 30th place on five under par.