Harrington claims PGA title
2008-08-11 05:57
Bloomfield Hills - Padraig Harrington hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday as he captured his third major championship and snapped Europe's 78-year drought in the PGA Championship.
The two-time reigning British Open champion fired a final round of four-under 66 for a three-under-277 total, winning by two strokes over Spain's Sergio Garcia and American Ben Curtis.
The 36-year old is the first European to win the British Open and PGA Championship in the same year and the first European to win consecutive major golf championships.
Harrington also joins Walter Hagen, Nick Price and Tiger Woods (2000 and 2006) as the only players to win both events in the same year.
"I like the fact no other European has won two majors consecutively," Harrington said. "I obviously hold a lot of European players who I grew up watching in high esteem.
"To achieve something that they hadn't is very special."
Garcia shot a two-under 68 and finished in a tie for second with third round leader Curtis (71) at the Oakland Hills Country Club course.
Argentina's Camilo Villegas (68) and Sweden's Henrik Stenson (72) placed fourth, four strokes back of Harrington, who is also the first European golfer to win the PGA Championship since Tommy Armour in 1930.
American Steve Flesch shot a one-under 69 to finish alone in sixth.
Harrington, 36, brandished his iron game and flexed his putter to post back-to-back 66s on the weekend.
"Once I got to the weekend and made a few putts it was a question of adrenaline keeping me going," said Harrington who earned 1.35 million dollars for the victory. "You just have to give it a go. From my experience in majors I know that nobody goes without making mistakes.
"I knew I would get my opportunity and it was going to be my day. I took that opportunity."
He rolled in six birdies, including four on the back nine, in marathon Sunday in which both he and playing partner Garcia had to play 36 holes.
Third round play was called off late Saturday after a series of thunderstorms rumbled through the Detroit-area course.
"When I started making putts I just stuck in there and it brought my game up. The more I got into it the better I played," said Harrington, who is the second player behind Tiger Woods to follow back-to-back British Open titles with a PGA Championship.
Two-time defending champion Woods didn't play at Oakland Hills after having season-ending knee surgery.
Harrington, of Dublin, now appears to have the number of Garcia who finished second in a major for the third time in his career and second time to Harrington.
Harrington also beat the Spaniard in a four-hole playoff in 2007 at Carnoustie for his first major championship. Harrington defended his Open title just three weeks ago.
"I had to convince myself not to get into this sentimental thinking that maybe it is his turn," Harrington said. "Maybe he deserves it. Maybe it is his day.
"I had to convince myself that it is going to be my day. I deserve to win three majors. You have to be very selfish in this situation when you are on the golf course.
"It was evident at Carnoustie when I won. I was so focused on what I was doing and the high of it and then I turned around. I saw Sergio and I could see the disappointment and that there was a loser that day.
"I could see the sheer disappointment in his face."
Harrington took the lead from Garcia for good on the par-three 17th hole by making a 10 foot birdie putt. Garcia putt his tee shot inside Harrington's to four feet of the cup but two-putted and had to settle for par.
"When I got up to the green I had no idea which was which," Harrington said. "I'm 10 feet and Sergio is four feet. I knew I had the opportunity to get the putt in first. That was important. I knew if I holed this I would probably win the PGA. If I missed Sergio would probably win the PGA. It was down to that.
"I hit a lovely putt. Read it exactly and it did exactly what I wanted."
But Garcia certainly made Harrington work for it. He came out strong in the fourth round, opening with a birdie and eagle and was tied with Harrington after 16 holes.
His undoing proved to be a shaky putter on the final two holes. He made bogey on 18 missing a 10-foot putt for par.
"Unfortunately sometimes things just don't go the right way," Garcia said. "That is the way it goes.
"I feel like I played well enough to win. But it didn't happen. That's pretty much all I can ask of myself."
It was the second consecutive disappointment for Garcia at the PGA Championship. Last year in Tulsa his tournament ended in disaster when he was disqualified after signing an incorrect scorecard.
Garcia said he is trying to take the positives from this experience.
"Every time you are out there trying to win a major there can only be one winner," Garcia said.
"I feel like I putted well today, just a couple of putts that didn't want to go in. When you give it your best and the end result is not what you wish for. It is hard but you feel like you gave it your best."