Harrington wins Portugal Masters - his first
victory in eight years
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Irishman Padraig Harrington claimed his first European Tour title in eight years as he held off the challenge of defending champion Andy Sullivan at the Portugal Masters.
The three-time Major Championship winner's last triumph on Tour was his 2008 win at the US PGA Championship and he showed all his experience under pressure in a closing bogey-free 65 to get to 23 under.
That was one shot better than Sullivan who also closed his week at Victoria Clube de Golfe, Vilamoura with a 65, and two better than the semi-retired Dane, Anders Hansen, and Finn Mikko Korhonen - who secured his playing privileges after starting the week 116th on the Race to Dubai.
The victory takes Harrington's European Tour tally to 15 wins and moves him alongside Thomas Bjørn at 15th on the all-time list.
"I haven't won yet this year, so I know the year is nearly done, it's always important to get a win every year, a winning year," he said.
"It's a big win. Portugal Masters is a big tournament. I've been coming here for ten years so I've always liked it down here. I've always liked coming down to Portugal.
"There's so many Irish people here. It always felt like a home away from home, so it's really nice to win the tournament.
"I tried to be really aggressive. The golf course suited me and I just tried to go after every pin I could and make birdies. I have a pretty good short game that was on form this week. No matter where I hit it, I felt like I could get it up and down."
Englishman Sullivan was attempting to become the first man to successfully defend the title while Denmark's Hansen - who retired at this event last season and was making just his fifth 2016 appearance - was looking to claim his first win since 2009.
Korhonen needed to finish in the top 26 to have a chance getting into the top 111 on the Race to Dubai and keep his card and he did that in style, with Australian Jason Scrivener and Englishman Oliver Fisher - who started the week at 113th and 114th respectively - also keeping their cards.
Scot Craig Lee and England's Eddie Pepperell had missed the cut and they were the men to drop out of the top 111 along with Zander Lombard who was not playing this week.
English duo Robert Rock and Chris Paisley finished at 20 under alongside Scot Paul Lawrie and American David Lipsky, with Spaniard Nacho Elvira a further shot back.
Fisher and Frenchman Benjamin Hebert then closed out the top ten at 18 under.
Sullivan made a stunning start, birdieing four of his first five holes to get to 20 under, while Korhonen birdied the second and fourth and when Hansen had gains on the fourth and fifth, there was a three-way tie at the top.
A brilliant bunker shot from Harrington helped set up a birdie on the second but when Hansen made a third birdie in a row on the sixth, the Irishman found himself three shots off the lead.
He cut that gap to two with a birdie on the seventh and then holed an exquisite bunker shot on the 11th before following it with another birdie on the 12th. Sullivan had also taken advantage of the par five and once again, there were three players at the top of the leaderboard.
Harrington spun his approach on the 14th back to five feet to move ahead but Sullivan took an aggressive line over the water on the 17th and joined him at 22 under.
A third birdie of the week on the penultimate hole followed from Harrington, however, and he parred the last to claim a dramatic victory.
Korhonen had dropped a shot on the seventh but made two birdies on the back nine while Hansen finished his round with 12 pars.
+Picture of Padraig Harrington with the championship trophy by courtesy of Getty Images(c)
FINAL TOTALS AND PRIZEMONEY
Par 284 (4x71)
victory in eight years FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Irishman Padraig Harrington claimed his first European Tour title in eight years as he held off the challenge of defending champion Andy Sullivan at the Portugal Masters.
The three-time Major Championship winner's last triumph on Tour was his 2008 win at the US PGA Championship and he showed all his experience under pressure in a closing bogey-free 65 to get to 23 under.
That was one shot better than Sullivan who also closed his week at Victoria Clube de Golfe, Vilamoura with a 65, and two better than the semi-retired Dane, Anders Hansen, and Finn Mikko Korhonen - who secured his playing privileges after starting the week 116th on the Race to Dubai.
The victory takes Harrington's European Tour tally to 15 wins and moves him alongside Thomas Bjørn at 15th on the all-time list.
"I haven't won yet this year, so I know the year is nearly done, it's always important to get a win every year, a winning year," he said.
"It's a big win. Portugal Masters is a big tournament. I've been coming here for ten years so I've always liked it down here. I've always liked coming down to Portugal.
"There's so many Irish people here. It always felt like a home away from home, so it's really nice to win the tournament.
"I tried to be really aggressive. The golf course suited me and I just tried to go after every pin I could and make birdies. I have a pretty good short game that was on form this week. No matter where I hit it, I felt like I could get it up and down."
Englishman Sullivan was attempting to become the first man to successfully defend the title while Denmark's Hansen - who retired at this event last season and was making just his fifth 2016 appearance - was looking to claim his first win since 2009.
Korhonen needed to finish in the top 26 to have a chance getting into the top 111 on the Race to Dubai and keep his card and he did that in style, with Australian Jason Scrivener and Englishman Oliver Fisher - who started the week at 113th and 114th respectively - also keeping their cards.
Scot Craig Lee and England's Eddie Pepperell had missed the cut and they were the men to drop out of the top 111 along with Zander Lombard who was not playing this week.
English duo Robert Rock and Chris Paisley finished at 20 under alongside Scot Paul Lawrie and American David Lipsky, with Spaniard Nacho Elvira a further shot back.
Fisher and Frenchman Benjamin Hebert then closed out the top ten at 18 under.
Sullivan made a stunning start, birdieing four of his first five holes to get to 20 under, while Korhonen birdied the second and fourth and when Hansen had gains on the fourth and fifth, there was a three-way tie at the top.
A brilliant bunker shot from Harrington helped set up a birdie on the second but when Hansen made a third birdie in a row on the sixth, the Irishman found himself three shots off the lead.
He cut that gap to two with a birdie on the seventh and then holed an exquisite bunker shot on the 11th before following it with another birdie on the 12th. Sullivan had also taken advantage of the par five and once again, there were three players at the top of the leaderboard.
Harrington spun his approach on the 14th back to five feet to move ahead but Sullivan took an aggressive line over the water on the 17th and joined him at 22 under.
A third birdie of the week on the penultimate hole followed from Harrington, however, and he parred the last to claim a dramatic victory.
Korhonen had dropped a shot on the seventh but made two birdies on the back nine while Hansen finished his round with 12 pars.
+Picture of Padraig Harrington with the championship trophy by courtesy of Getty Images(c)
FINAL TOTALS AND PRIZEMONEY
Par 284 (4x71)
1
HARRINGTON Padraig
IRL
66
63
67
65
261
€ 333,330
2
SULLIVAN Andy
ENG
67
61
69
65 262
€ 222,220
T3
HANSEN Anders
DEN
67
66
62
68 263
€ 112,600
T3
KORHONEN Mikko
FIN
64
67
64
68
263
€ 112,600
T5
LAWRIE Paul
SCO 66
66
65
67 264 € 66,200
T5
LIPSKY David
USA 64
66
69
65
264
€ 66,200
T5 5
PAISLEY Chris
ENG
65
67
65
67 264 € 66,200
T5
ROCK Robert
ENG 67
66
67
64
264 € 66,200
9
ELVIRA Nacho
ESP
65
67
67
66
265
€ 44,800
T10
FISHER Oliver
ENG 66
67
69
64 266 € 38,400
T10
HEBERT Benjamin
FRA 70
66
66
64 266 € 38,400
T12
BJERREGAARD Lucas
DEN 67
67
70
63
267 € 30,960
T12
FAHRBRING Jens
SWE 65
64
70
68
267
€ 30,960
T12
GALLACHER Stephen
SCO
67
68
64
68 267
€ 30,960
T12
KHAN Simon
ENG 69
67
64
67 267
€ 30,960
T12
WARREN Marc
SCO 63
65
70
69
267 € 30,960
T17
LAGERGREN Joakim
SWE 66
66
68
68 268
€ 24,960
T17
SCRIVENER Jason
AUS 68
66
67
67 268
€ 24,960
T17
SHINKWIN Callum
ENG 64
68
67
69
268
€ 24,960
T17
SOUTHGATE Matthew
ENG 68
67
66
67
268
€ 24,960
T17
WALTERS Justin
RSA 67
66
71
64
268
€ 24,960
T22
GOUVEIA Ricardo
POR 66
68
68
67
269
€ 20,800
T22
HORSEY David
ENG
68
67
66
68 269
€ 20,800
T22
JACQUELIN Raphaël
FRA 66
65
70
68
269
€ 20,800
T22
McEVOY Richard
ENG
71
67
67
64
269
€ 20,800
T22
RUMFORD Brett
AUS
67
66
69
67
269
€ 20,800
T22
STORM Graeme
ENG 68
66
68
67
269
€ 20,800
T22
WARING Paul
ENG 67
64
72
66 269 € 20,800
T29
HANSON Peter
SWE 68
68
68
66
270 18,100
T29
LEWIS Tom
ENG 71
65
68
66 270
€ 18,100
T31 CAÑIZARES Alejandro ESP 65 70 67 69 271 € 15,800
T31 COETZEE George RSA 66 68 69 68 271 € 15,800
T31 JENSEN Lasse DEN 66 70 67 68 271 € 15,800
T31 PIETERS Thomas BEL 69 69 68 65 271 € 15,800
T31 QUIROS Alvaro ESP 69 69 68 65 271 € 15,800
T31 RAMSAY Richie SCO 71 61 69 70 271 € 15,800
T37 AIKEN Thomas RSA 67 68 69 68 272 € 13,000
T37 FISHER jun Trevor RSA 69 63 68 72 272 € 13,000
T37 FLEETWOOD Tommy ENG 67 68 68 69 272 € 13,000
T37 HANSEN Joachim B. DEN 68 70 65 69 272 € 13,000
T37 LINARD Thomas FRA 71 65 67 69 272 € 13,000
T37 NOREN Alex SWE 67 67 68 70 272 € 13,000
T37 WALL Anthony ENG 69 68 68 67 272 € 13,000
T44 AGUILAR Felipe CHI 71 67 67 68 273 € 10,400
T44 CAMPILLO Jorge ESP 69 64 68 72 273 € 10,400
T44 DRYSDALE David SCO 69 65 69 70 273 € 10,400
T44 DYSON Simon ENG 67 65 71 70 273 € 10,400
T44 FRITSCH Florian GER 70 68 67 68 273 € 10,400
T44 KARLSSON Robert SWE 71 62 70 70 273 € 10,400
OTHER SELECTED TOTAL
T50 JAMIESON Scott SCO 69 64 71 70 274 € 7,109
T31 CAÑIZARES Alejandro ESP 65 70 67 69 271 € 15,800
T31 COETZEE George RSA 66 68 69 68 271 € 15,800
T31 JENSEN Lasse DEN 66 70 67 68 271 € 15,800
T31 PIETERS Thomas BEL 69 69 68 65 271 € 15,800
T31 QUIROS Alvaro ESP 69 69 68 65 271 € 15,800
T31 RAMSAY Richie SCO 71 61 69 70 271 € 15,800
T37 AIKEN Thomas RSA 67 68 69 68 272 € 13,000
T37 FISHER jun Trevor RSA 69 63 68 72 272 € 13,000
T37 FLEETWOOD Tommy ENG 67 68 68 69 272 € 13,000
T37 HANSEN Joachim B. DEN 68 70 65 69 272 € 13,000
T37 LINARD Thomas FRA 71 65 67 69 272 € 13,000
T37 NOREN Alex SWE 67 67 68 70 272 € 13,000
T37 WALL Anthony ENG 69 68 68 67 272 € 13,000
T44 AGUILAR Felipe CHI 71 67 67 68 273 € 10,400
T44 CAMPILLO Jorge ESP 69 64 68 72 273 € 10,400
T44 DRYSDALE David SCO 69 65 69 70 273 € 10,400
T44 DYSON Simon ENG 67 65 71 70 273 € 10,400
T44 FRITSCH Florian GER 70 68 67 68 273 € 10,400
T44 KARLSSON Robert SWE 71 62 70 70 273 € 10,400
OTHER SELECTED TOTAL
T50 JAMIESON Scott SCO 69 64 71 70 274 € 7,109
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, October 23, 2016
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