Darren Clarke won the 2011 British Open on July 17, 2011, by three strokes over Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson. It was Darren's first major victory and his first victory of 2011. Darren joins the ever growing list of winners on the 2011 PGA Tour. However, the biggest winner at the 2011 British Open may have been the man who finished tied for second, Phil Mickelson. Dustin Johnson also made up some ground on other golfers.
Phil Mickelson
Yes, Phil Mickelson finished tied for second and missed out on the champion's paycheck. However, Darren Clarke is not in contention for the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup. Darren Clarke might make a great leap in the World Golf Rankings but he is not going to contend with the top golfers. Phil, on the other hand, gained ground on all the golfers ranked ahead of him. Mickelson leaped up from the No. 9 spot on the FedEx Cup standings to move up to No. 4. When the new World Golf Rankings are released, Phil is likely to climb up the list from the 12th spot he held going into The Open. Phil moved up to No. 5 on the 2011 PGA Money List. His 2011 earnings are now close to $3.2 million. Mickelson might not have won the tournament but he had the most successful tournament.
Dustin Johnson
Finishing tied for second was not all bad for Dustin Johnson. Johnson moved up from the 21st spot on the PGA Money List to No. 11 earning more than $2.6 million for the year. A PGA victory has been elusive this season for Dustin as he has finished second twice this season and third once. Dustin moved up from 25th in the FedEx Cup Standings to No. 14 a significant jump. A successful tournament for Johnson as he made up ground, not quite contender ground but impressive none the less.
Darren Clarke
What Phil or Dustin did does not compare with what Darren Clarke accomplished. Darren won the British Open. I am sure winning the British Open as your first major victory is huge for the golfer from Northern Ireland. The big payday certainly will move him up the World Money List and rankings. The $1, 452,078 winner's share is reason enough for Clarke to celebrate his big victory.
I am a recreational golfer who has played golf in five states. I have been following the PGA Tour my whole life growing up near Sawgrass the home of the TPC.
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