Eurosport's top 10 sporting moments

Darren Clarke wins the Open Championship

Following Graeme McDowell’s US Open win in 2010, this proved another extraordinary year for Northern Irish golf. Rory McIlroy suffered an extraordinary meltdown at the US Masters before redeeming himself with a brilliant win at the US Open.

McIlroy might be the future of golf, but for four days at Royal St George’s at Sandwich, his countryman Clarke was the glorious present.

The 42-year-old had endured years

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Darren Clarke wins the Open Championship

Following Graeme McDowell’s US Open win in 2010, this proved another extraordinary year for Northern Irish golf. Rory McIlroy suffered an extraordinary meltdown at the US Masters before redeeming himself with a brilliant win at the US Open.

McIlroy might be the future of golf, but for four days at Royal St George’s at Sandwich, his countryman Clarke was the glorious present.

The 42-year-old had endured years of personal turmoil and on-course underachievement, and made pre-tournament headlines by visiting a psychiatrist to help the mental side of his game. Whatever was said clearly worked as Clarke mastered ferociously windy conditions to card four rounds of 70 or better.

Clarke led into the final round, and faced a strong challenge from the Dustin Johnson. But when the talented American pushed a two-iron out of bounds at the 14th, it gave Clarke enough of a cushion to win by three shots despite bogeying the last two holes.

One of the most popular Open victories of all-time sparked a night of wild celebrations - at a press conference the following morning, Clarke revealed the party had only finished 30 minutes earlier.

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