DARREN CLARKE and Philip Walton will depart in high spirits this morning for the US Open at Oakland Hills after excellent final rounds in the English Open at the Forest of Arden yesterday.

Neither could prevent Australian Robert Allenby from snatching his first victory in Britain from Colin Montgomerie and Ross McFarlane, but Clarke followed his third place in Hamburg by tying for fourth place and Walton had the fourth hole-in-one of his tournament career to win £10,000 for the Dunblane Appeal.

Allenby (24) from Melbourne, consigned Montgomerie to the runner-up's chair for the second week running when he birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th then rolled a 20 yards putt hole-side for a par three at the 210 yards par three last where the Scot had minutes earlier taken a bogey four. The slim Australian had a 69 for a 10 under par total of 278.

It was the second time that Montgomerie had faltered in the closing stages, for he fluffed a chip from behind the 17th green and failed to make the birdie four that would have put him 11 under on the last tee. Then like McFarlane he fell victim to the collar of rough around the last, only just getting his recovery on to the putting surface and taking two more putts.

Montgomerie had been three ahead when Allenby was on the 14th, and the confidence-boosting win he was seeking before heading out to Detroit today, looked a certainty.

But just as Fred Couples came with a late flourish to deny him ate the Players' Championship ink Florida and Frank Nobilo did in Hamburg the previous week with a last-day 64, so Allenby swept past with a rush. He holed from six feet at the short 15th, 15 feet on the next green, and then cracked a five-iron from 202 yards to the heart of the 17th to complete his birdie hat-trick.

Allenby commented: "Any time I can finish ahead of a world class player like Colin I know I am doing well. I am basing myself in Europe this year to try and establish myself as a truly international player like him by finishing in Europe's top 15."

Montgomerie has, of course, been European number one for the last three years.

Clarke, who started with a birdie, and had an eagle three at the seventh after three-putting both the third and fourth, briefly threatened to join the leading trio when he birdied three of the first four inward holes. He was then six under and sharing third place with Allenby. but he failed to better par at the 14th and 15th, and the 16th again proved his undoing.

He had taken six there in the second round after over-shooting the green, and he dropped another shot by failing to hit the fairway. Unable to control his pitch from the semi-rough he was again too long and suffered the penalty. Although he birdied the 17th, he fell victim like Montgomerie to the collar around the 18th, and ended on 283 with Peter Mitchell and, Sweden's Per Ulrik Johansson.

Walton, who is making his US Open debut in Detroit, sank a seven-iron tee shot at the 15th, and although his personal reward was only a jeroboam of Moet et Chandon, his feat earned a handsome five-figure donation from" the Marriott hosts towards the Dunblane Appeal. "I have had three before and the first at Chantilly won me a car and helped me take the French Open," he said. "I am very happy that this shot is going to do a lot of good for others."

The Malahide professional has been given a prime draw in the first round of the US Open for he will partner Fred Couples and Steve Elkington, the USPGA champion. "I am looking forward to it very much," he said after presenting a one under par total of 287 that gave him a share of 19th place and a cheque for £7,618.

Raymond Burns who had 73, and Paul McGinley who shot 75; both finished on a four over 292 and shared 44th place worth £3,380.