Exclusive – Clarke: Hard work led to Open victory

Darren Clarke has claimed hard work paved the way to his first major victory at the Open.

The Northern Irishman shot a level par 70 in the final round to seal the Claret jug at Royal St George's after starting the tournament as a 200-1 outsider.

And speaking to the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show, Clarke claimed that his hard work was starting to pay off.

He said: “I actually work very hard, contrary to what people believe. They think I’m in the bar all the time having a pint but I work very hard on my game.

“It’s nice when something like this happens, all that hard work pays off. In any professional sport, you put the hours in and you get into a position where it pays off.”