Harrington retains

Open title in style

by four strokes

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Ireland's Padraig Harrington has won the Open Championship for the second year in succession in superb style on a windswept final day at Royal Birkdale.
Harrington carded a closing round of one-under-par 69 for a three over total of 283, finishing four shots clear of Ryder Cup team-mate Ian Poulter to become the first European to successfully defend the title since James Braid in 1906.
Poulter covered the last 10 holes in three under par despite winds gusting up to 35mph, holing from 15 feet for par on the 18th to set what looked a daunting clubhouse target on seven over par 287.
That left Harrington needing to cover the last four holes in level par, but the 36 year old Dubliner - doubtful before the start of the championship with an injury to his right wrist - put the result beyond doubt with a birdie on the 15th and an eagle from just four feet on the 17th to seal a memorable triumph.
The £750,000 first prize secures Harrington's place in the Ryder Cup at Valhalla in the United States in September and takes him from 14th to a career-high third in the world rankings.
Overnight leader Greg Norman (77) finished joint third with Sweden's Henrik Stenson on nine over 289. The Australian was in several bunkers on the inward half.
English amateur Chris Wood evoked memories of Justin Rose's fourth place finish as a 17 year old amateur here in 1998, challenging for the lead before finishing in joint fifth - winning the silver medal for leading amateur.
Harrington trailed Norman by two shots at the start of the day but was one ahead after just three holes as the 53 year old Australian - looking to become the oldest ever major winner by five years - began with a hat-trick of bogeys.
Another bogey on the sixth meant Harrington was two clear, but the Ryder Cup star then stumbled with three straight bogeys of his own to fall one behind his playing partner at the turn.
As Norman continued to struggle it was Poulter who emerged as Harrington's biggest rival, birdies at the ninth and 11th taking him within a shot of the lead.
The 32 year old flamboyant Englishman crucially missed from four feet for another birdie on the 13th however and, after a birdie putt on the 16th dropped in on its last roll, three-putted the par-5 17th for par.
As that happened Harrington holed from 18 feet for a birdie on the 13th to take the outright lead again, a lead he was never to lose.

What Greg Norman had to say afterwards

Greg Norman called on golden oldies everywhere to dare to dream the dream after serving up a spectacular Open performance at the age of 53.
“A lot of people should take stock, no matter how old they are,” the Australian after a closing 77 gave him a share of third place on nine-over-par 289.
“If you really want to chase a dream you can go do it. Even though there was failure at the end of it for me, I still put myself in position to show a lot of other people that you can go do something if you want it.”
Norman, who plays more tennis than golf these days with his wife Chris Evert, started the final round with a two-shot lead and said the worst thing about his last-day slump was his score.
“The toughest thing today? That was shooting 77,” said the former world number one.
“But I think the (strong) winds became a little more awkward. Obviously I am disappointed. It would be an understatement if I didn’t say I was disappointed.”
Norman, who won the Open in 1986 and 1993, said his sparkling Birkdale display would not force him to change his playing habits.
“It still doesn’t fire me up to go out there,” he said. “I am going to play the Senior British Open and then the Senior U.S. Open and that’s it.
“I don’t plan on playing any more golf after that for a while,” added the Australian who spends most of his time working for his thriving course-design company.
“I am very happy, it’s nice to have a balanced life. I don’t grind it out on the golf course any more.
“I don’t practise, practise, practise. I just play when I like to play and practise when I like to practise.”
Norman heaped praise on Padraig Harrington after his playing partner clinched victory in the Open for the second year running.
“Padraig played great today,” he said. “Even though he tried to let it get away in the middle of the round he came back and performed beautifully, like a true Open champion.
“What did Padraig shoot today, 69? I would have had to shoot 71 (to win) and that would have been tough for me.”
But Norman said he was proud he challenged for the title throughout the tournament in his bid to become golf’s oldest major champion.
“I am sure I surprised a lot of people but, at the same time, I think what happens if I had won,” he said.
“Then I might have had to be out here playing more golf and maybe that’s what I didn’t want to do. I can walk away with my head held high because I hung in there.
“I got a couple of unfortunate lip-outs. Maybe if on 11 and 12 they had lipped in instead of out it would have been a totally different score.”