Harrington closes with blistering 63 to retain DICK'S Sporting Goods Open - "I'm here for a run”
Padraig Harrington
Pádraig Harrington is looking forward to going on a major summer run after coming home in a blistering 28 to close with a sensational nine-under 63 and retain the DICK’S Sporting Goods Open in New York.
Tied for fifth overnight, two shots behind leaders Ernie Els and Brett Quigley, the Dubliner (51) gave himself a massive boost ahead of his defence of the US Senior Open in Wisconsin this week when he played his last seven holes in seven-under par to win by a shot from Joe Durant on 18-under par at En-Joie Golf Club.
It was Harrington’s first win on the PGA TOUR Champions this season and after going winless for his first six events on the over 50s circuit last year before winning four events, he’s hoping this signals the start of another golden run of form.
“You know, the interesting thing is it took me half the year last year (to get a win),” said Harrington, who was watched by his wife Caroline and youngest son Ciarán.
“Well, I won four from this period on. I don't like superstitions or anything like that, but it took me half a year to get going last year and I won this week.
“Obviously the US Senior Open was this week last year, so second half of the year, I'm here for a run.”
Harrington made four birdies and two bogeys on the front nine to turn for home five shots behind Els but he caught fire on the back nine.
He reeled off four birdies in a row from the 12th, eagled the 315-yard 16th from 15 feet to tie for the lead with Joe Durant (66), then rolled in a seven-footer for a two at the 17th to come home in seven-under and set the target at 18-under.
Els needed a birdie at the last to force a playoff but made bogey to finish third on 16-under as Darren Clarke shot 65 to finish tied for fifth, four strokes behind Harrington on 14-under.
“It's great,” Harrington said after getting his fifth win in just 28 starts as a senior with his family looking on.
“They obviously were here last year. My oldest son, believe it or not, drove to New York today after the first hole so he missed the whole thing. He's going to be gutted. But the youngest son and my wife is here.
“Yeah, it's nice when you've got people around, and certainly during the week -- I got a slow start this week, it's hard after last week -- just having family around, they make sure you don't get down on yourself.”
As for his blistering finish, he said: “You know, I played really nicely for the first 12 holes. Three three-putts. You know, you can't three-putt when you're chasing like that.
“And then on 11 I got in trouble and made a great up-and-down. It was amazing, it was a bad hole that kicked that, kind of gave me, oh, that was OK.
“I got and down from 31 yards out of a bunker, holed an eight-footer and it kind of -- it went from feeling like everything was going against you, to, oh, that's not so bad.
“Obviously I wasn't thinking about winning at that stage, I was thinking about just trying to make as many birdies.
“When I started making them, yeah, then I started thinking about it when I got, I suppose, three or four of them. But it was a bonus obviously to make eagle (on 16).
“It was nice pushing up the tee on 16 helped, just made it a perfect 3-wood whereas every other day you're kind of between driver, 3-wood.
“First day I went with 3-wood when I was making all those bad decisions. Today, it was a perfect 3-wood. That was a nice bonus.
“And when I had about a six-footer on 17, it's amazing when you're holing putts. I could have closed my eyes, turned my back and I would have holed the putts on 17.
“It’s amazing, when they're going in you can't see a way of missing. When they're not going in, as they were on the front nine, I couldn't see a way of getting them in.”
The Dubliner came into the event in great form having made the cut in two regular majors with his best finish a tied for 27th in last week’s US Open in Los Angeles.
“Yeah, look, there's no doubt a lot of players came up to me this week and said, ‘Well played last week’, and that does you no harm.
“And as I've said about the Champions Tour, it's interesting, when we're out here we're trying to beat the hell out of each other, but whenever somebody goes back to the regular Tour we're all rooting for them.
“We're all hoping whoever goes back plays well just to prove that we still have it out here.
“And it is startling how much pressure you're under out here. You've got to shoot 18 under in three days. That's a lot of work. Doesn't matter, you know, you've got to hole the putts, you've got to hit the wedges close, you've got to play some golf to get to 18 under par. You know these guys can play.
He pocketed $315,000 for the win to take his earnings on the PGA TOUR Champions this season to $1,090,110.
