Clarke back with a convincing victory

Darren Clarke, whose career looked in real crisis going into the Masters two months ago, will head off to the US Open a different man later this week.

The 30-year-old Ulsterman returned to winning ways by capturing the Compass Group English Open by two strokes at Hanbury Manor near Hertford today.

Having set what is thought to be a record by grabbing birdies at the last five holes in both the second and third rounds, Clarke shot a closing 68 to collect the £119,043 first prize with a tournament record 20-under-par total of 268.

He was made to fight for it, though, by Midlander John Bickerton, who came from seven behind to only one behind either side of a 90-minute thunderstorm delay.

In the end Bickerton had to settle for the runners-up cheque for the second time in four months, but having earned more this year - over £200,000 - than in the rest of his career he said: "I'm over the moon."

Colin Montgomerie, joint second overnight, failed in his bid for a third success in four weeks. He managed only a 70 and was joint fifth.

Clarke finished last year by winning the Volvo Masters and taking second place behind Montgomerie on the Order of Merit.

But he then took two months off to enjoy his baby son Tyrone and on his return his form had totally deserted him.

After missing the cut in the Masters he was an horrendous 70-over-par for the season and, on his own admission, "not the best company in the world."

At that point he knew something had to be done. He parted company from coach Pete Cowen and flew to Las Vegas to see Tiger Woods' coach, Butch Harmon.

"This was the fruit of the work I did with Butch," added a delighted Clarke after his victory. "And now hopefully I will take my game on. I want to play like this more consistently."

Harmon rang Clarke after each of the first three rounds and even told Woods about the five-birdie double as he tried to win the Memorial Tournament in Ohio.

"Tiger said 'Come on - you're not telling me the truth'," commented Harmon. "Darren is truly a great champion and I'm glad the things we worked on have paid off."

It looked all over for the chasing pack when Clarke, five clear overnight, eagled the first by sinking a 20-yard bunker shot and birdied the third from eight feet to be seven clear.

But world number four Ernie Els threw away such an advantage at the Heineken Classic in Perth in January and there was to be drama ahead this time as well.

Clarke bogeyed two holes later and then Bickerton had four successive birdies around the turn.

The delay came when he was on the long 12th, but when play restarted he chipped to eight feet and made it to close the gap to one.

At the very next hole, however, the 29-year-old went just over the green and then horribly duffed his chip only a matter of feet.

It cost him a bogey five and Clarke converted a 20-foot chance at the 12th to be three ahead again.

But even then it was not plain sailing. He hooked into a ditch on the next, was close to taking a penalty drop, but decided to have a slash at the ball.

"The ball was half-submerged and it was hit and hope," he later said.

The water sprayed up, but he managed to move it around 100 yards, chipped to seven feet and saved a crucial par.

Up ahead Bickerton holed from 30 feet at the 15th and almost holed a bunker shot himself on the next.

But Clarke's nine-iron to six feet at the 15th settled the matter.

Clarke leaps from 44th to ninth on the Order of Merit and from sixth to third in the Ryder Cup points race, his second cap now a certainty.

Bickerton, who has never finished higher than 114th on the money list, stands sixth after no fewer than six top 10 finishes now. He is also 10th in the Ryder Cup standings and if he can stay there 11 more weeks will earn an automatic debut in September.

Montgomerie never really got going on the final day, but after his wins in the Benson and Hedges International and Volvo PGA championship commented: "I'm very happy with me right now.

"The ball just didn't want to go in today, but never mind - I'd prefer them to at the US Open!"

Chesterfield's David Carter and Australian Stephen Leaney shared third place on 14 under, with Andrew Coltart alongside Montgomerie one further back.

Nick Faldo had long since departed when the issue was decided. Teeing off at 7.15am after three disappointing days, Faldo produced a bogey-free 68, but still finished down in 51st place and drops to 45th in the Ryder Cup list.

"Tiger said 'Come on - you're not telling me the truth'," commented Harmon. "Darren is truly a great champion and I'm glad the things we worked on have paid off."

It looked all over for the chasing pack when Clarke, five clear overnight, eagled the first by sinking a 20-yard bunker shot and birdied the third from eight feet to be seven clear.

But world number four Ernie Els threw away such an advantage at the Heineken Classic in Perth in January and there was to be drama ahead this time as well.

Clarke bogeyed two holes later and then Bickerton had four successive birdies around the turn.

The delay came when he was on the long 12th, but when play restarted he chipped to eight feet and made it to close the gap to one.

At the very next hole, however, the 29-year-old went just over the green and then horribly duffed his chip only a matter of feet.

It cost him a bogey five and Clarke converted a 20-foot chance at the 12th to be three ahead again.

But even then it was not plain sailing. He hooked into a ditch on the next, was close to taking a penalty drop, but decided to have a slash at the ball.

"The ball was half-submerged and it was hit and hope," he later said.

The water sprayed up, but he managed to move it around 100 yards, chipped to seven feet and saved a crucial par.

Up ahead Bickerton holed from 30 feet at the 15th and almost holed a bunker shot himself on the next.

But Clarke's nine-iron to six feet at the 15th settled the matter.

Bickerton, who has never finished higher than 114th on the money list, stands sixth after no fewer than six top 10 finishes now. He is also 10th in the Ryder Cup standings and if he can stay there 11 more weeks will earn an automatic debut in September.

Montgomerie never really got going on the final day, but after his wins in the Benson and Hedges International and Volvo PGA championship commented: "I'm very happy with me right now.

"The ball just didn't want to go in today, but never mind - I'd prefer them to at the US Open!"

Chesterfield's David Carter and Australian Stephen Leaney shared third place on 14 under, with Andrew Coltart alongside Montgomerie one further back.

Nick Faldo had long since departed when the issue was decided. Teeing off at 7.15am after three disappointing days, Faldo produced a bogey-free 68, but still finished down in 51st place and drops to 45th in the Ryder Cup list.