Darren Clarke dropped six shots on the last six holes on another disastrous day for the Dungannon man as Australian Peter Lonard won the MCI Heritage Classic at Hilton Head, South Carolina yesterday.
Clarke started the day a shot behind the Australian on 10-under-par, but he came out on fire on the Harbour town course, birdieing the opening three holes and the fifth to suddenly be four shots clear.
But bogeys at the sixth and seventh and a double bogey at the eighth suddenly saw Clarke back to a shot behind Lonard, who had bogeyed the first two holes, birdied the eighth and then immediately dropped a shot at the ninth.
However, worse was to follow for Clarke on the back nine. After a double bogey on the 13th he dropped two more shots on the the next two holes.
But he was still tied for the lead playing the last but another wayward shot cost him a double bogey as he handed the title to Lonard.
Five-times winner Davis Love III returned a 71 to join Clarke in a tie for second, level with fellow Americans Jim Furyk (69) and Billy Andrade (68).
On Saturday Clarke had suffered a disastrous third day, after leading by six shots at halfway. He followed two successive 65s with a two-over-par 73 while Lonard enjoyed a 66.
"Obviously I'm disappointed with the way I played," Clarke said on Saturday. "I didn't swing it good and I lost my feel on the greens completely. I kept bashing them six, seven feet past and missing the ones coming back.
"But I'm only one behind going into the last day, so I'm looking forward to it. It's not a bad place to be and hopefully I can play better."
Clarke had just two bogeys in the first two rounds but stumbled to four on the front nine and two on the back, finally surrendering the lead to Lonard with a six on the par-five 15th.
Lonard followed Thursday's nine-under-par 62 with seven bogeys in a three-over 74 on Friday, but he recovered his sparkle with six birdies and could have been leading by more if not for a bogey on the 18th, his only mishap of the day.
"Tee to green was pretty solid and I held my putting together, which was good," Lonard said.
"My chipping was also far better. When I missed the greens I got up and down."
Graeme McDowell did well to make the cut on Friday, but shot 75 78 over the weekend to finish at the bottom of the field.