Harrington's mum reveals Open anguish

From Brian Keogh at Carnoustie

Padraig Harrington's mum has revealed her Open agony and ecstasy at Carnoustie.

Mother of five Breda confessed that she was felt physically sick as son Pádraig almost blew his chance of winning the Claret Jug.

Harrington was leading by one stroke from Sergio Garcia playing the 18th hole but dumped TWO balls in the Barry Burn to rack up a double bogey six.

Beaming after her son's win in the four-hole play-off, Breda said: "When he went in the water I thought I was going to be sick.

"I thought he had blown his chance to win the Open, I really did."

A widow since the death of her husband Paddy just before the 2005 Open at St Andrews, Mrs Harrington regularly follows her son all over the world.

She chain-smoked her way through his play-off win in the Irish Open at Adare Manor in May.

But she admitted that she couldn't bear to watch Harrington's final three and a half foot putt to take the title in the play-off.

She confessed: "I closed my eyes when he stood over that putt. I couldn't watch."

Asked if she said had looked to the heavens for support, she added: "I put in a word upstairs and he came through. Padraig really deserved this for all the hard work he has put in.

"He has always been very competitive. I remember he was competitive from the time he was very small, even playing marbles."

Harrington's brothers Tadhg, Columb, Fintan and Fergal watched the action on TV.

But supermum Breda is convinced that their father Paddy was watching from above.

As her son clutch the Claret Jug in the lobby of The Carnoustie Hotel, she said: "Paddy would have loved this. But he was here in spirit."