SHANGHAI, China -- A long birdie putt on the final hole gave Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke a one-shot victory Sunday in the BMW Asian Open, his first title in five years. The $2.3 million event was co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the Asian Tour.

The estimated 25-footer left him at 1-over 73 for an 8-under 280 total, a stroke ahead of Robert-Jan Derksen (73) of the Netherlands.

England's Robert Dinwiddie shot 74 to share third with Italy's Francesco Molinari (69) and Taiwan's Lin Wentang (72).

Clarke missed a series of easier putts to fall back into a tie with Derksen, who appeared to blow his chances with a double bogey on the 14th after an errant chip went across the green and into the water.

Clarke bogeyed 16 and 17 before his birdie putt on 18. It was his first win on the European Tour or PGA TOUR since 2003, and first since his wife Heather died of cancer in 2006.

"This one is very special," said Clarke, who yelled with delight after his winning putt. "This is the toughest one of all of them and it's nice to get back up to where I feel my golf should be. It's nice to win again and it's a really, really good feeling."

Henrik Stenson had a 68 to finish sixth. Greg Norman shot 71 in a rare tournament appearance to finish tied for 14th, eight shots back.

Clarke hailed his emotionally charged victory as the best of his illustrious career. But the win was certainly not a comfortable one as he was challenged all the way by playing partner Derksen.

The Dutchman had double ogeyed the par-3 14th after he chipped into the water, and though Clarke bogeyed the same hole he still moved two strokes clear at the top of the leaderboard.

From then it seemed the win would be a formality for Clarke,but those bogeys on the 16th and 17th meant he went to the last level par with Derksen.

"It was always going to be a difficult hurdle for me to get back to winning ways after Heather had passed away," said Clarke.

"My mind started going from about 14 onwards and I lost my concentration and started thinking about Heather and the boys, and if you can't keep your concentration for the whole way round you make mistakes," he explained. "But on the last hole I gathered myself and hit a good putt and luckily it went in. <

p>"This is the very top. I have been working harder than I have ever worked before on all aspects of my game," he added. "I have been putting in nine-hour days and it is nice to see it pay off. It is a big mental hurdle that I have overcome."

Clarke is looking to return to the sort of form that saw him become the only player apart from Tiger Woods to capture more than one World Golf Championship title.

After the death of his wife, Clarke understandably had a difficult season in 2007, but turned a corner at the end of the year when he finished third at the South African Airways Open in December. And he admitted it has been a frustrating wait to return to winning ways on the European Tour.

"There have been frustrations," he added. "It is like in anybody's job where if you work and work but don't see a tangible difference it gets very difficult.

"That is what has happened with me as I have been working away and not seeing results," he added. "But you persevere and keep on going and sometimes things go your way and they did for me on the last green."

Despite being denied a third European Tour victory, Derksen refused to dwell on his defeat and instead paid tribute to Clarke.

"It was a great match," he said. "In the beginning I thought it could be between the two of us as the wind was up and it would be difficult for the others to catch. He is a great winner.

"My up and down on the 18 was very good and I don't make that quite often, but then Darren holed a good putt and that's his luck and it is his day."

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