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Darren Clarke wins English Open

WARWICKSHIRE, England, June 9 (UPI) -- Darren Clarke cruised to a three-shot victory Sunday that made him the first three-time winner in the 23-year history of the English Open.

Clarke, 33, won the event in 1999 and 2000 and started the final round tied for the lead with Raphael Jacquelin. But the veteran from Northern Ireland quickly eased away from the Frenchman and the rest of the field to capture his ninth European Tour title.

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He closed with a 68 for a 17-under total of 271. Denmark's Soren Hansen finished second at 274 following a 70 while Jacquelin and Phillip Price shared third place at 276.

"This is certainly very satisfying," said Clarke. "Probably this one more than the other victories because I have been playing well recently without having been able to put a score on the board. But it feels very good to go out and play the way I played today and win.

"I led from start to finish and that says an awful lot about my game. I feel very comfortable at the moment. I'm swinging it well and hitting it where I want to most of the time."

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Clarke promptly headed for New York and next week's U.S. Open, where he will be paired during the opening two rounds with Tiger Woods.

After opening with five straight pars, Clarke made his intentions clear with successive birdies at the sixth and seventh. It gave him the advantage, but the turning point came at the par-5 12th.

While most of the challengers struggled to make par at the 547-yard hole, the powerful Irishman reduced it to a drive and a 5-iron before rolling in an 18-foot putt for eagle. That moved him five shots clear of the field and all but decided the issue.

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