Harrington wins Open in dramatic fashion

Published on Sunday 22 July 2007 15:43

PADRAIG Harrington needed a playoff against Sergio Garcia before squeezing out his first major title and ending a dramatic and emotionally exhausting day of golf victorious at the 136th Open Championship at Carnoustie.

Harrington needed 15 strokes - or level par - to Garcia's 16 to win the four-hole playoff by one shot. The Irishman two-putted on the final playoff hole - No.18 - including a winning three-footer for bogey-5 and earned the Claret Jug by virtue of Garcia's missed birdie attempt from about 12 feet away. He became Europe's first winner of a major since Scotsman Paul Lawrie won on the same course in 1999, and the first Irishman to win the Open in 60 years.

The difference in the playoff came on the first hole, the par-4, 406-yard No.1. Garcia's tee shot missed the fairway by a few feet and he dumped his approach into a greenside bunker below of the hole. From there he could only smash out to 15 feet and missed the par putt, while Harrington converted his birdie attempt from eight feet for a two-shot lead.

The two golfers played even on the middle two playoff holes, the par-3 16th and the par-4 17th.

The duo ended regulation at 7-under-par 277. The playoff was prompted after disappointing showings by both golfers on the 18th.

Garcia can only blame himself for not finishing off what most expected him to do - win the Open after leading from the start of the tournament. But the Spaniard played a rollercoaster round that saw him lead by as many as four shots before trailing by as many as two. His chance to win the tournament in regulation ended in disappointment when his ten-foot par putt lipped the cup at 18 after finding a bunker on the front edge of the green.

Harrington was also in position to win in regulation but struggled on the final hole. Leading by one shot and playing a bogey-free round, the Irishman drove to the right onto a bridge that crossed the Barry Burn before finding the water. From there he took a penalty and followed it with a third shot, again into the burn. The double-bogey six dropped him to 7-under par, after a round that included four birdies and an eagle.

Garcia dropped a stroke at the fifth, seventh, eighth, 15th and 18th holes, and countered the round with birdies on the third, 13th and 14th.

Andres Romero played an even wilder closing 18. The young Argentinian registered ten birdies for the day, but dampened that run with two bogeys and two double-bogeys for a 4-under-par 67 on the day. He finished at 6-under 278, good enough for third place, one shot behind the playoff contenders.

Richard Green carded a course-record equalling 7-under par 64. Green just slipped his 15-foot putt wide on the 18th for par and a chance to establish the all-time course mark. The Australian left-hander ended the round with one eagle, six birdies and the single bogey on the final hole to finish the tournament at 5-under 279.

Green finished in a tie for fourth with Ernie Els. The South African appeared to be in contention for the title after three birdies on the front nine but struggled with a pair of bogeys on the return to finish the day at 69.

Americans Hunter Mahan, with a brilliant final-round 65, and Stewart Cink (70) shared fifth place at 4-under 280.

Winner for the past two years, Tigers Woods finished in a tie for 12th after a final-round 70.

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