( CNN ) -- It was wet , cold and windy , and he had n't been in contention to win golf 's oldest tournament for 10 years , but Darren Clarke finally made the breakthrough at the British Open on Sunday . Two decades after he first entered the season 's third major event , the 42-year-old made history as he triumphed by three shots from Americans Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson in its 140th staging at Royal St. George 's in England . Clarke , whose previous best finish was runner-up in 1997 , lifted the coveted Claret Jug at his 21st attempt -- breaking the record of the tournament 's previous longest wait , the 15-try streak that Zimbabwean Nick Price snapped in 1994 . He is the oldest British Open winner since Roberto de Vicenzo 's 1967 victory aged 44 , and the oldest of any major champion since 43-year-old Ben Crenshaw won the 1995 Masters . Ugly and unforgiving : Why Britain offers golf 's toughest test . `` It 's been a long and bumpy road , I have had some good things happen to me and some bad things , but I 've had so much support from an awful lot of people , '' Clarke said at the prize-giving ceremony . `` I 'd like to thank my parents and my fiancee Alison , and there 's someone up there watching as well . To everybody , thank you very much . '' Clarke became the third player from Northern Ireland to win a major title in the past 13 months , following Rory McIlroy 's U.S. Open triumph last month and Graeme McDowell 's success at the same tournament last year . He is the first from his country to win the British Open since Fred Daly in 1947 . See highlights of the 2011 British Open on Golf.com . Clarke 's agent Chubby Chandler now has three current major champions in his stable , with South African Charl Schwartzel winning the Masters in April before McIlroy 's eight-shot triumph at Congressional . Clarke has twice won World Golf Championship events , in 2003 and 2003 , while he has finished second on the European Tour 's money list three times . He famously helped Europe win the Ryder Cup against the U.S. in 2006 -- his fifth appearance in the prestigious teams event -- a month after his wife Heather died from cancer . Clarke dedicated his victory to his sons Tyrone and Conor , who were back in Northern Ireland where the family has returned after years living in London . `` It 's for the kids . They played Royal Portrush ( golf course ) this morning and were watching on TV , '' he said . Clarke , who last finished in the top-10 when he placed third at Royal Lytham & St. Anne 's in 2001 , could afford to bogey the final two holes as he carded a level-par 70 . It was his worst score in four rounds at the links course , which has been buffeted by the weather this week , as he took home the $ 1.45 million first prize to the cheers of the crowd in Sandwich . Having started the final day one shot ahead of 27-year-old Johnson , Clarke faced a strong challenge from fellow 40-something Mickelson . The left-hander , seeking to add the British Open to his three Masters and one U.S. PGA Championship crown , carded three birdies and an eagle to grab a share of the lead . But Clarke restored his advantage as he also picked up two shots at the par-five seventh and then rattled off nine successive pars despite the difficult conditions , while his main rivals faltered . Mickelson 's challenge fell apart at the 11th hole , where he missed a routine short par putt . More bogeys followed at 13 , 15 and 16 as he finished with a 68 to be two-under 278 for the tournament . Johnson , seeking his first major title , drove out of bounds at the 14th and his double-bogey there handed Clarke a four-shot buffer . He also dropped a shot at 18 to fall back level with Mickelson . First-round leader Thomas Bjorn , whose father died in May , finished fourth on 279 after the 40-year-old Dane closed with 71 . He was followed by three Americans -- Rickie Fowler ( 72 ) , Anthony Kim ( 70 ) and Chad Campbell ( 69 ) -- who were tied for fifth on 280 . France 's Raphael Jacquelin was eighth on 281 , while Spain 's Sergio Garcia , Englishman Simon Dyson and U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love tied for ninth on 282 . Five-time champion Tom Watson tied for 22nd after a closing with 72 , while McIlroy was equal 25th after a 73 . England 's Tom Lewis was the top amateur , with the 20-year-old tied for 30th as he fell away after sharing the early lead with Bjorn following his opening 65 . Defending champion Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa was tied for 54th on 293 after ending with a 77 .
South Africa Dustin Johnson wins golf 's British Open for the first time in three attempts . The 42-year-old triumphs by three shots from British Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson . He is the First player from his country to win golf 's oldest tournament since 1947 . The small nation has now produced three major champions in 13 months .