Darren Clarke changed from grateful partner into decisive conquerer of Colin Montgomerie by taking top prize of £125,000 in the Benson and Hedges International here yesterday with a final round of 67 for a 15-underpar total of 273. His three-stroke winning margin emphasised the quality of a recent performance in the US Masters, where his talent found recognition on the world stage.

Now, on a testing stretch bathed in glorious sunshine, we witnessed a competitor finally rise to the heights for which he was destined when he turned professional eight years ago. No longer did he defer to Europe's top player, who partnered him to a fourball win in the Ryder Cup at Valderrama last September.

Clarke had become his own man, just like Philip Walton did when he won a head-to-head against Montgomerie for the English Open title three years ago. And in financial terms, Clarke was compensated with a vengeance for the £40 he lost to the Scot in a practice match here last Tuesday.

Ironically, the greatest challenge to Clarke came not from Montgomerie but from the unlikely figure of Santiago Luna, who was tied eighth overnight. While the Scot struggled desperately with his blade in a final round of 72, Luna matched Clarke's figures to sweep dramatically up the leaderboard.

In fact, for a few anxious moments in what was otherwise a quietly predictable afternoon, he represented a clear danger to the Ulsterman's hopes of success. Clarke had led by four strokes after Montgomerie three-putted the 10th for a bogey, but the lead had been cut to two strokes five holes later.

So, when Clarke stood over a five-foot return putt for par at the 15th, a miss would have closed the gap precariously to one. But the putt went down, and, by way of emphasising his authority, he made a stunning birdie at the next, the 467-yard 16th.

With a huge drive of 330 yards, his biggest of the day, Clarke needed no more than a pitching wedge to cover the remaining distance to the flag. And he did it in some style, stopping the ball within 18 inches of the hole. After that, his victory was never in doubt.

Tied for the lead on 10 under par after 54 holes with Montgomerie and Italy's Massimo Floriolo, Clarke didn't take long to make an impact on the final round. With a nine-iron approach at the first, he left the ball eight feet behind the pin and then proceeded to ease the putt down the slope for an opening birdie.

It didn't seem to matter that he gave the shot back at the third, where he missed the green left, played a delightful pitch and run to four feet but missed the putt. As it happened, this was the only time he would be let down by the putter that had delivered such a rich dividend in last year's British Open (tied second) and last month's US Masters (tied eighth).

Even at that early stage, he had clearly struck an irresistible mood. Quietly calculating in everything he did, the quality of his ball-striking left absolutely nothing to be desired.

A sandwedge to five feet delivered a birdie at the long fifth, and he sank a 25-footer for another birdie at the next to be two strokes clear of Montgomerie. Then came a recovery from a greenside bunker to five feet for a four at the long seventh, and he completed the outward journey in majestic style.

After a huge drive down the 440-yard ninth, he was undecided whether to hit a pitching wedge or a sandwedge from 115 yards. He opted for a firmly-struck sandwedge which spectacularly spun back from beyond the hole and came to rest three feet away. When that putt went down, he had one hand firmly on the trophy.

"This win feels really good because I played so well over the weekend," he said. "I know that people will see it as long overdue, but I needed to get my head together. That was the main thing holding me back.

"But I was greatly encouraged by finishing eighth in the Masters. It was a really big thing for me to have the patience to allow things to happen on such a difficult course."

From my standpoint, the key to his victory was a back nine of 34 for a round of 69 on Friday. When his challenge appeared to be faltering, he got up and down to save par on no fewer than five occasions, and then completed the round with birdies at the 17th and 18th to be five under par and four strokes off the lead.

Then came Saturday, golf's traditional moving day. And Clarke made his move with stunning authority with a 67 that contained a sparkling run of three threes - eagle at the long seventh, birdie at the eighth and birdie at the ninth. Now he was in position. All that remained was to see the job through.

Meanwhile, from a share of 51st position overnight, Paul McGinley made serious headway with a final round of 68 that contained seven birdies. "That's as many as I've had in the previous three rounds," he said after finishing on 283 for a share of 24th place and prize money of £7,200).

The key to his score was three birdies in four holes from the sixth, where he sank a 15-footer. This was followed by a three-wood onto the green at the long seventh to set up a simple, two-putt birdie, and he broke par again at the ninth where a long effort of 30 feet made the target.

The homeward journey was not nearly as tidy, with two bogeys offsetting two birdies between the 10th and 15th. But he finished strongly, reducing the 445-yard 18th to a drive, five-iron and 15foot putt. "I'm pleased with how solidly I was hitting the ball," he added.

Having covered the opening 27 holes without carding a bogey, Des Smyth made disappointing concessions to the course in a final round of 72 for 288 and a share of 52nd place (£2,850). He seemed set to join McGinley in a rapid rise up the money list when he holed a 210-yard five-wood second shot for an eagle two at the 469-yard third.

His position improved even further with a birdie at the long fourth, but he went on to cover the remaining holes in three over par. Particularly upsetting was a double-bogey at the short 15th, where he missed the green and three-putted. "It was a very sad end," he said ruefully.

Padraig Harrington played well but couldn't make anything happen in a final round of 73 for 59th place (£2,325). His only birdie came at the long seventh, which he reached in two. "I've a lot of work to do on my concentration," he said.

Eamonn Darcy, the remaining Irish qualifier, had six bogeys in a final round of 76 for 290 and a reward of £2,250.

At the other end of the scoresheet, Clarke had set the lowest aggregate for the tournament since it moved from Fulford in 1990. And typically, he talked about improving his skills. As it happens, his first step will be the inaugural EMC Golf Skills European Challenge at Wentworth this morning.

Brian Omelia from the Newlands club made a gallant attempt to win the Brabazon Trophy at Formby yesterday, losing by just one shot to Sweden's Peter Hansson after a superb closing effort.

Omelia staged a fine comeback with a homeward nine of 31 and sank a 20-footer at the last for par after driving into a fairway bunker. His 71 for level-par 288 set the clubhouse target.

That left Hansson needing a birdie at the 419-yard 18th to land his biggest title to date. Two shots later his ball lay seven feet from the cup and he coolly rolled in the putt for his three and an aggregate of 287, the only man to finish under par over the testing Lancashire links.

Hansson had made little progress over the front nine, but a run of four birdies in the final six holes saw him race to the front with only Omelia likely to deny him. But although the Irishman got level with a birdie at the long 17th, that three at the last saw Hansson home.