As the play got underway on the final day of the 140th Open Championship from Royal St. George's Golf Club in Kent, all eyes were firmly locked onto the overnight leader Darren Clarke, in anticipation that at the age of 42, he could finally break his major duck.
Saturday's wretched weather had served to string the field out extensively, thus meaning the opening games of the final round carried no significance on the outcome of the Claret Jug at the end of the day.
The 30mph winds that were travelling across the course did not lend themselves to low scoring and it was widely accepted that the winner would come from the top half of the leaderboard.
This prediction proved correct as only Sergio Garcia mounted a challenge early on as he managed to get himself to level par for the tournament with four birdies in the opening seven holes having started the day four over par. However, a double bogey at the eighth swiftly ended his surge.
Mickelson on a Mission
It was not until after 1pm that the final day really got going. Anthony Kim and four time major winner Phil Mickelson arrived at the first tee looking to build on their level par for the tournament to be sent on their way by the legendary caller Ivor Robson, who was celebrating his 37th Open Championship in the role.
Much was expected of Mickelson on this final day despite his relatively poor Open record. The crowd favourite got off to the perfect start making birdies at the second and fourth holes in pursuit of a win that - in his own words - would make him "complete" as a golfer.
By this time, the final group of Darren Clarke and Dustin Johnson had teed off to a rousing reception. Both men parred the first before Clarke sank a four and a half foot putt to birdie the second - taking him to six under par; two clear of Johnson.
Other challengers were beginning to fall away as Lucas Glover was unable to rediscover his putting stroke that had gone awol since Friday and Miguel Angel Jimenez - who was bidding to become the oldest ever Open winner at the age of 47 - was enduring the beginnings of a miserable round that would eventually end up as a 78.
Johnson's bogey at the third only served to further extend Clarke's lead to three strokes. However, Mickelson continued his early promise by sinking the first of several long putts for birdie at the sixth. The big American's round was now really gaining momentum and it looked increasingly likely that he could be the one to rain on Clarke's parade.
This perception was affirmed when Clarke recorded the first bogey on his card at the tricky fourth to drop back to five under par and Mickelson pounced with an eagle at the par five seventh holing a 'monster' putt to move into a share of the lead.
Clarke however, was not intimidated by Mickelson's ascent of the leaderboard as he continued to play aggressive golf. In doing so he set up a 20ft putt for birdie at the sixth to retake the outright lead. Unfortunately, his attempt lipped out, meanwhile; Mickelson experienced an identical fate at the eighth to deny him the outright lead.
Like Mickelson, Clarke eagled the seventh taking him to seven under par as the blows continued to be traded between the two veterans in what was fast becoming an enthralling spectacle.
Mickelson then proceeded to birdie the tenth with another top quality putt to cut Clarke's lead to a single stroke.
Turning Point
Mickelson had set himself up with another birdie opportunity on eleven. Although the putt was long and the chance was slim it was the same sort of putt that he had been knocking in with unerring regularity in the previous holes.
Unfortunately for Big Phil, his birdie try just stopped short of the hole and it seemed a regulation tap-in was in order to claim the par. However, unbelievably, his par putt - from little over a foot - failed to drop as it part circumnavigated the hole. It was bogey at eleven.
Clarke had thus had his two shot lead reinstated. If any further proof was necessary, that it was going to be 'one of those days', shortly after he saw a miscued approach shot go skidding over a bunker. Incredibly, it flicked off an up slope and carried it by a matter of inches. Clarke's expression of relief told the story.
Meanwhile, Mickelson's concentration seemed to have disappeared as the frustration, at his miss on eleven, began to extend itself to his general game as he found a fairway bunker off the tee on twelve, before going on to record three bogeys to end his challenge.
Dominance
With Mickelson's challenge ailing, Clarke decided to batten down the hatches and adopt a cautious approach. He would par every hole from 8 through to 16.
The second last pairing of Thomas Bjorn and the ever colourful Rickie Fowler had also failed to launch a challenge. Bjorn had battled away for much of the day but the focus of his round very quickly became saving par as he scrambled his way around the Royal St. George's links. Fowler on the other hand, just could not find the breakthrough birdie as he recorded 15 consecutive pars - a run that extended back to the 17th hole on Saturday.
Dustin Johnson - Clarke's playing partner - briefly managed to exert some pressure on the Northern Irishman as he birdied twelve to move to five under par - two behind Clarke.
Johnson's challenge was ended a hole and a half later when he went out of bounds with a wild approach to the 14th leading to a costly double bogey.
Formality
With Mickelson and Johnson now apparent history it was down to Clarke to maintain his position and not throw it away as Bjorn had done at the same course in 2003.
The crowd really began to get behind their man with every tee shot that landed in the fairway and every approach that made the green being greeted by roars of approval.
Clarke bogeyed 17 but it was academic, his impending victory now a forgone conclusion. As he stood on the 18th tee he shared a joke with Johnson - his positive attitude had become a much noted contributor to his successes over the previous three days.
After finding the fairway on 18, Clarke put his approach wide of the green and managed to get down in three to bogey the hole to claim the famous Claret Jug with a level par round of 70 that left him three shots clear of second placed Mickelson and Johnson.
His final putt had to be one of the shortest in Open history - a regulation tap-in; although Mickelson might have missed it!
In his acceptance speech, Clarke was quick to thank his parents, his fiancee and his agent of over 20 years, 'Chubby' Chandler as well as the loyal crowd. But - most poignantly - he thanked his late wife Heather who succumbed to cancer at the age of 39.
In his post-round interview with the BBC, Clarke spoke of his joy at ending his long wait for major success:
"[It feels] just incredible, it really is. I can't... I don't know what to say! A bit speechless you know.
I played okay today. I did what I had to do for most of the day and then the last couple of holes - where I knew I was so far ahead - I was trying not to make any stupid mistakes you know; try to stay out of the fairway bunkers and you know, just try and play really careful and as it turned out it was good enough to win."
Clarke defied the conditions and the competition to become the oldest winner of a major since Ben Crenshaw donned the famous Green Jacket following his 1995 Masters success.
It also means that the small, troubled nation of Northern Ireland has claimed three of the past five majors to become a mini golfing Mecca! The luck of the Irish? Perhaps.
Final Scoreboard
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