'The bunkers are evil' - Padraig Harrington bemoans horror start as K J Choi wins Senior Open

Korea's KJ Choi shows off the trophy after winning the Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex at Carnoustie Golf Links. Picture: Kenny Smith/Getty Images.

Padraig Harrington branded the Carnoustie bunkers as “evil” after seeing a horror start to the final round at the Angus venue kill off his hopes of stopping K J Choi from being crowned as champion in the Senior Open presented by Rolex.

While there was no denying that Choi, having been there or thereabouts from the off in the $2.85 million event, emerged as a worthy winner, creating history in the process as the first Korean to become a senior major champion, Harrington’s closing circuit was a remarkable effort.

On a sun-kissed afternoon, the Irishman started triple bogey-double bogey after taking five bunker shots in visits to three bunkers, meaning his bid to overturn a six-shot overnight deficit was suddenly dead in its tracks.

Padraig Harrington thought he'd hit a good drive at the first only for it to end up in a bunker and lead to a triple-bogey 7 at Carnoustie Golf Links. Picture: Phil Inglis/Getty Images.

For some, a start like that would probably have signalled a score closer to 90 than 70, but, showing his renowned fighting qualities, the three-time major winner salvaged a par 72 and that was after dropping a shot at the 17th then missing a great birdie chance at the last.

“I battled yesterday. I flushed it today. I couldn't hit it worse yesterday. Couldn't hit it better today,” said Harrington as he reflected on an effort that saw him finish in a tie for fifth on two under, eight shots behind the winner. “So it's a crazy game. You know, I actually didn't know what score I was shooting at the end; my head was so messed up.

“Look, the bunkers are evil. That's just it. Yeah, just seems like a quadruple whammy of let's make it difficult in the bunkers this week. So I got caught out those first couple homes. My ball just dropped in on the first. Just the difference, obviously the way they congeal the sand up, it won't run into the bunker. It stops at the edge. I actually had seen it done before, but it was quite nasty.

“Yeah, look, that's what happens in this game. I knew I had to push today. I think even after that, I had three good eagle chances there. I could have slipped a few more putts in.

“But the good news for me is K.J. has run away with it, which is a nice thing. I would hate to be finishing up today and six-under par, seven-under par was winning; it would have been a disappointing day. two-under, it makes no difference now.”

Choi, who had taken the event by the scruff of the neck on Saturday before running up back-to-back double bogeys at the 15th and 16th, started out with a one-shot cushion but was quickly overtaken by his playing partner, Australian left-hander Richard Green.

Bidding to land his maiden over-50s’ major after finishing second in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and third in the US Senior Open earlier this year, Green started with ten straight pars, but was then left trailing in Choi’s wake after the 54-year-old started for home with a birdie-par-birdie-birdie-eagle burst.

Four ahead with four to play, he eventually ended up winning by just two shots as Green finished birdie-par-birdie while Choi signed off with a bogey after coming perilously close to finding the Barry Burn with his tee shot, but, in truth, the outcome was never in doubt in the final hour of play.

Choi closed with a 70 to finish on ten under, winning by two shots from Green (71), with Englishmn Paul Broadhurst, the winner here in 2016, two shots further back in third after his last-da7 70.

“It's unbelievable,” said Choi of landing his 33rd career victory, with this one - it was worth $447,800 - being the biggest since triumphing in The Players Championship in 2011.

“Today I had more fire and my swing was more comfortable. I also stayed patient and the back-to-back birdies on nine and ten kept my momentum going. I am very proud and very impressed with myself achieving this on a windy and very difficult course.”

Bearing in mind he was using a walking stick as he battles severe arthritis, it was another eye-catching effort here from Broadhurst and it was the same for 2010 Carnoustie winner Bernhard Langer, who tied for fifth after also being denied a request to use a golf cart as he recovers from an Achilles tendon tear earlier in the year.

“Obviously delighted,” said Broadhurst of his week’s work. “Genuinely I didn't really know what to expect this week and the last six holes today was a bit of a struggle. Running on empty, I think.

“Obviously K.J. killed it somewhere around the mid part of the round. I don't know what happened, but he went from nowhere to four clear. So good on him. He's played really well. I know he had a couple of poor holes to finish yesterday having been well ahead, but he deserves it.”

Langer was equally pleased with his effort, signing off with a two-under 70 in the company of Paul Lawrie after being three over heading to the seventh tee. “Yeah, I am thrilled with it , to tell the truth, as I wasn’t sure I was going to walk 72 holes for the first time in six months,” said the 66-year-old.

“I am very blessed that I was able to have my doctor with me and he was able to mobilise my leg each evening and each morning. It’s still hurting and it’s still swollen, but I made it through and I actually played pretty decent golf.”

Lawrie finished as the leading Scot in a tie for 12th on level par, six shots ahead of qualifier Doug McGuigan, with Colin Montgomerie three shots further back then Greig Hutcheon and Scott Henderson on 11 and 12 under respectively and Euan McIntosh bringing up the rear among the Caledonian contingent to make the cut on 15 over.