Open champion Darren Clarke reflected on his success at Sandwich and admitted: "I never stopped believing."

Clarke, who became the third Northern Irishman - along with Rory McIllroy and Graeme McDowell - to win a Major in the past 13 months, said: "It is incredible.

"It has been a long, bumpy ride and I've had a lot of good things and bad things happen to me.

"The support I've had this past four days, I can't thank you enough.

"I did what I had to do today and try not to make any stupid mistakes. I always believed I could challenge again and now plan some very long celebrations."

He added: “To sit here with this trophy means the world to me. I’ve dreamt since I was a kid that one day I would do this."

Picture: Barry Goodwin