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Harrington ranked sixth in the world
By Larry Cooney
Padraig Harrington's first victory on the PGA Tour in Sunday’s Honda Classic was the only real bright note of a generally depressing weekend for Irish sport.
Ireland’s loss to France in RBS Six Nations international at Lansdowne Road on Saturday which brought an end to any Grand Slam ambitions left the country in a deep state of disappointment until news of Harrington’s play-off triumph at Palm Beach in Florida.
The nearly man of Irish golf, who before last weekend’s thrilling victory, had recorded 26 runner-up places, received a cheque for £514,000 after his play-off victory over Vijay Singh and Joe Ogilvie. Harrington’s victory also moved him up to sixth place in the world rankings — the highest in his career.
Harrington produced a tremendous round that included 11 birdies that brought him from 21st right into the play-off. He birdied 10 of the first 13 holes and his only bogies were on the 14th and 15th. The three tied players restarted at hole number 18 for the play-off where Ogilive promptly produced a bogey and was eliminated.
Singh managed to par that but Harrington recovered from a drive into the rough to force another hole. Both players then found the fairway off the tee, Harrington putted for par but Singh’s attempted tap from four feet failed to drop into the hole to give Harrington a coveted and famous victory.
Twenty-three days before the first Major of the year, 33-year-old Harrington now feels he has overcome the fear of winning and that all his hard work in the off-season has finally paid off. President Mary McAleese was among the many individuals who offered her congratulations to the Dubliner on his dramatic victory, who said afterwards.
“Obviously I am thrilled, if a little bit surprised I have won but you have got to take it when you can. It does mean a lot to me now that I've done it. I’ve worked very hard at my game to get to this level. I’m sure when I turned pro, nobody would have predicted how far I’ve gone, and it’s days like that that makes it all worthwhile. I’m surprised to have done it after four weeks (on the 2005 PGA Tour).”
After a month of competitive action, Harrington will now have a well deserved rest before he travels back to Florida next week in preparation for the Players’ Championship, the BellSouth Classic and the Masters.
Harrington, who has twice finished second in the Players, will now be hoping that he can go one better, while a win in the Masters in Augusta in now a real possibility. Meanwhile Ireland’s golfing hero is also scheduled to attend the Millennium Stadium for this Saturday’s Wales and Ireland Six Nations clash.
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