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Northern Irish professional golfer Darren Clarke has enjoyed 22 international tournament wins in a career spanning all the way back to 1990, which was the year he initially hit the scene as a professional.
The 42-year-old is possibly most well-known for his sensational performance that saw him take the crown at the 2011 Open Championship, where he saw off competition from US heavyweights Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.
During the hotly-contested tournament - held at Royal St George's - Clarke kept his nerve to clinch his first ever major title with a final round of 70 that saw him finish on five-under-par and three shots ahead of his closest rivals.
With the victory, he became only the second Northern Irishman to win the Open after Fred Daly took the top spot in 2012.
"I've been very calm all week, I won six weeks ago and the more you put yourself in winning positions the more comfortable you get," he commented after clinching the title. "I was very comfortable with my game this week."
Born in Portrush in 1968, Clarke played golf from an early age as a junior member of Dungannon Golf Club, which was also attended by three more members of the PGA Tour - Alistair Cardwell, Barry Hamill and Gary Chambers.
He enjoyed his first full season on the European Tour in 1991, when he made the cut for that year's Open Championship before finishing in a tie for 64th place.
Following this, Clarke emerged as a force to be reckoned with and was placed 41st in the Order of Merit in 1992 after coming in second position at the Hondo Open - just three strokes behind Bernhard Langer.
His personal life took a turn for the worse in 2006 after Heather - his wife of ten years and the mother of his two sons - lost her brave battle with breast cancer, but Clarke soldiered on to compete in the Ryder Cup and contributed largely to the European success.
"The bottom line is I know that Heather would have wanted me playing there, but if I didn't feel I could have benefited the team I wouldn't have gone," he said at the time.
Nominated for the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year in 2011, Clarke's likeable character and natural ability have made him a favourite among fans of the sport.
It was announced he will be presented with an OBE as part of the New Year's Honours List earlier this month after he clinched his 14th European Tour victory, which is a fitting way to start 2012.
Career Wins
2010 – JP McManus Invitational Open
2008 – The KLM Open / BMW Asian Open
2005 – Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiyeiho Masters
2004 – Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiyeiho Masters
2003 – Benmore Developments Northern Ireland Masters / WGC – NEC Invitational
2002 – Compass Group English Open
2001 – Smurfit European Open / Chunichi Crowns / Dimension Data Pro Am
2000 – Compass Group English Open / WGC – Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship
1999 – Compass Group English Open
1998 – Volvo Masters / Benson & Hedges International Open
1996 – Linde German Masters 1993 – Alfred Dunhill Belgian Open