Clarke scoops BBC award

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Darren Clarke finished second in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award at a ceremony held in Manchester last week.

Darren Clarke finished second in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award at a ceremony held in Manchester last week.

Clarke finished behind cyclist Mark Cavendish, a World road race champion and Tour de France green jersey winner. Runner Mo Farah was third.

Veteran Clarke, winner of the 2011 Open Champion at Royal St George’s – his first major victory after a 20-year long career – was one of three golfers among the ten nominations, the others being World No 1 Luke Donald and US Open champion Rory McIlroy.

It was the first time in the award’s history that three golfers were nominated.

Clarke, 43, came second with 42,188 votes. McIlroy finished eighth.

Cavendish became only the third cyclist to win the coveted award. He won five stages of this year’s Tour de France, including the final time trial in Paris, to clinch the green jersey awarded to the race’s best sprinter for the first time.

“I am absolutely speechless. Just to be nominated was an incredible feeling,” he said.

Other winners on the night were England’s cricket team, who were named Team of the Year, and their coach Andy Flowers, who won the Coach of the Year award.

World Number One tennis player Novak Djokovic, a three-time grand slam winner this year, won the Overseas Sports Personality of the Year, while teenage golfer Lauren Taylor scooped the Young Sports Personality award.

The BBC Sports Unsung Hero award went to Athletics coaches Janice Eaglesham and Ian Mirfin.

The lifetime achievement award went to Sir Steve Redgrave, while Bob Champion was handed the Helen Rollason Award.

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