Harrington shrugs off Grand Slam defeat
Padraig Harrington took another PGA Grand Slam reverse on the chin and confessed - I’d rather be lucky in Majors.
Beaten in a play-off for the second year running when Jim Furyk eagled the first extra hole in Bermuda, the Dubliner consoled himself by reflecting on his double Major winning season.
Asked what he’d take from the week, Harrington said: “I take from this the fact that I won two majors in the middle of the summer. And if I was to get the right break at the right time, I would rather keep it for those events than this week.
“I think the last time I came down the stretch with Jim was when I won at Westchester, 2005, and I holed a 66-foot putt on the last. I broke his heart on that day. So it’s swings and roundabouts.
"Obviously I had a chance to win. It's disappointing, but that's the way it goes sometimes."
Relaxed Furyk took the $600,000 top prize, forcing Harrington to settle for “just” $300,000.
He said: "I kind of treated the week like I had nothing to lose. I don't go on golf vacations, but it was a little like a golf vacation.”
Harrington’s defeat at the Mid Ocean Club was almost a carbon copy of his loss to Angel Cabrera last year.
The Argentine was five behind Harrington after one hole of the final round but finished birdie-eagle to force a play-off before winning with a birdie at the 21st.
This time Furyk was two adrift with six to play but took advantage mistakes by Harrington at the 15th and 18th to force extra holes with a birdie at the last.
In sudden death, Harrington’s 20 foot eagle hopped out of the hole and Furyk took advantage by draining his eight footer for the win.
Consoling himself with his two major victories, Harrington said: “I'm sure I holed the right putts at the PGA to win there, and I'm sure I hit the right shots at the Open to win there.
“You kind of have to look at it like that overall. You can't look at one result and sort of hang your whole season on it.”
The Irish ace was hoping to become just the second European to win the PGA Grand Slam and join 1991 winner Ian Woosnam on the list of champions.
And he gave his fans a hint that he will win more Majors when he hoped for better luck next time he’s in Bermuda.
He beamed: “I hope the pin will be put in the toughest spot the next time I come back here rather than the easy spot. I don't want to see anymore eagles down that 18.”
The good news is that he won’t have to face the 18th again as event moves from the Mid-Ocean Club to the renovated Port Royal Golf Course in 2009 and 2010.