GOLF: Darren Clarke gave himself the perfect boost yesterday for his head-to-head clash with Tiger Woods at this week's United States Open when he defied some foul weather at the Forest of Arden to win his third English Open title in four years.

Clarke ended an 11-month barren spell by splashing his way to a three-stroke victory, his superb closing 68 giving him the £133,330 first prize with a 17-under-par total of 271.

Dane Soren Hansen - no relation to Volvo PGA winner Anders - was second after three closing birdies and Clarke's Ryder Cup team-mate Phillip Price was third for the second week running, this time jointly with France's Raphael Jacquelin.

Now Clarke will hope to display the same form when he is paired with Woods in the first two rounds at Bethpage Park - at 7,214 yards the longest course ever used for the US Open.

The 33-year-old was the only player in the world's top 30 taking part in the English Open and his class showed. He shared the first round lead with Australian Jarrod Moseley, the second round with Scottish rookie David Drysdale and the third with Jacquelin.

None of them could stay with him - and nor could Hansen and Englishman Steve Webster after they climbed into joint top spot early in the final round.

There is no doubt which two holes won it for Clarke. The 466-yard sixth is one of the toughest on the course, but the Ryder Cup star played it in three under, his second shot yesterday stopping six inches from the cup.

That was good, but the 547-yard 12th was even better. Birdies the first two days, then two eagles. The 15-foot putt there took him five clear and allowed him an easy ride over the closing stretch.

Webster, four times a runner-up on tour, suffered the most dramatic crash.

After bogeying the long seventh he four-putted the eighth for a double bogey, dropped another shot on the ninth and then ran up a triple bogey eight at the 12th, twice going into the lake in front of the green.

He threw a third ball into the water after finally holing out, while coming off the eighth he hurled his putter back to his bag. Tournament director Miguel Vidaor was studying a video of that and could well decide it was worthy of a finer.

Former British Open and Masters champion Sandy Lyle, 10 years without a win, had a 71 for joint sixth - his best finish since he lost a play-off to Ian Woosnam in South Korea in 1997.