BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2000 | USPGA Golf | Clarke heads British challenge

After completing his final round he said: "This game has me baffled.

"On the driving range on the first day I didn't know what was going to happen, then in the middle two rounds I thought I was going to shoot the lights out, then today was the same as the first day."

Lee Westwood also finished with a 67 to be one shot, but six places, behind Clarke in a tie for 15th on eight under par.

Westwood, who opened his championship account with a pair of disappointing 72s, hit back with a 69 on Saturday and continued his climb up the leaderboard with a superb final round.

A bogey at 16 threatened to ruin his day but a birdie at the last saw Westwood home in 34 and left him tied for 15th and keeping his fingers crossed that no-one went past him in the closing stages.

"I squandered too many shots, but on the positive side it was probably my best ball-striking major," he said.

"In the last two rounds I missed five two-foot putts - and in the first round the longest putt I holed was four feet. No wonder I'm bottom of the putting stats."

Darren Clarke shot a promising first round

Nick Faldo continued his remarkable fightback at the USPGA before eventually running out of steam to finish the tournament at one over par.

That in itself was a major achievement considering the veteran star had shot an opening round of 79, then slumped to nine over during Friday's second round.

Rounds of 68 and 69 sent him back up the leaderboard and, remarkably, Faldo stood at three under midway through his final round.

But four shots disappeared in three holes from the 13th as Faldo went six-four-five to eventually card a 73 to finish the day - and the tournament - one over.

Colin Montgomerie began the day knowing his barren run at Major tournaments was certain to continue.

He remained keen however to secure the highest possible finish to boost his hopes of topping the European Order of Merit for the seventh successive year.

A bogey at seven dropped him back to one over but the Scot fought back for a final round of 70 to leave him two under for the championship, breaking his duck of not recording a birdie on the back nine in the process.


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