Bjorn snatches win in Open thriller

Denmark's Thomas Bjorn is celebrating his win at the Nissan Irish Open after a nail-biting finish which saw Ireland's Darren Clarke come close.

Thomas Bjorn today triumphed at the rain-delayed Nissan Irish Open with a birdie on the final hole at Carton House.

Bjorn holed out from eight feet after Darren Clarke and Paul Casey missed chances on the par-five 18th as the €2.2m tournament was finally completed on the fifth day’s play.

The Dane carded a final-round 72 for a five-under-par total of 283, one shot clear of Casey who could only three-putt the last for par from long range.

Home favourite Clarke was a shot further back after a bogey on the last when he duffed his pitch from the front of the green and three-putted.

Clarke, seeking to become the first home winner since John O’Leary in 1982, emerged with enormous credit after an incident on the ninth hole when play resumed this morning.

Clarke had pushed his tee shot into heavy rough when play was suspended on Sunday evening, but found the ball in a much better lie today. That gave him the chance to reach the green in two but Clarke insisted on chipping out sideways and ended up with a bogey five.

Bjorn's chances looked to have disappeared when he bogeyed the 16th, but a birdie from 12ft on the next got him back into a share of the lead.

Clarke looked set to birdie the 18th after two excellent shots left him just short of the green at the par five, but he promptly duffed his pitch and compounded the error with three putts for a bogey six.

That left Casey and Bjorn, watching from the fairway in the group behind, to battle it out for the £250,000 (€367,000) first prize, Casey finding the front edge of the green in two and Bjorn hitting his third to eight feet.

Casey was almost 100ft away from the flag however and needed three putts to get down for par, and Bjorn took advantage to hole out for birdie and take the title.