Last Updated: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:31
Darren Clarke admitted his mind began to wander towards the end of his final winning round of the BMW Asian Open.
The Northern Irishman had not won a title for five years and has suffered a dramatic slump in form after the death of his wife, Heather, from cancer in 2006. But he carded a one-over-par 73 for eight under to finish one stroke clear of Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen in Shanghai.
The Ryder Cup star holed a 25-foot putt on the 18th hole to take the tournament and he admitted that his thoughts were elsewhere as he approached the business end of the round.
"It was always going to be a difficult hurdle for me to get back into the winner's enclosure after Heather passed away - it's a big mental hurdle that I have crossed today," he said.
"From the 14th onwards I lost my concentration. I started thinking about Heather and the boys and other bits and pieces.
"In this game, unless you keep your concentration for the whole way around, you make mistakes and that's what I did.
"On the last green I gathered myself and said: 'Right, hit a good putt'. Luckily I did. It was tracking from about six feet out. Sometimes they are just meant to go in."