SANDWICH, England — Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland has teed off in heavy wind at the British Open with a one-stroke lead over American Dustin Johnson.
Clarke is seeking his first major title Sunday and the third for his homeland in just over a year. Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell won the last two U.S. Opens.
Johnson is playing in the final group of a major for the third time. He closed with an 82 at last year's U.S. Open to lose the lead and received an infamous two-stroke penalty that knocked him out of a playoff at the 2010 PGA Championship.
Rickie Fowler of the U.S. and Thomas Bjorn of Denmark are three shots off the pace.
Sergio Garcia made an early move with four birdies in seven holes. But a double-bogey at No. 8 knocked the Spaniard back.