Harrington won't put this trophy down for a while
Coming to the 18th tee on Sunday night, Irishman Padraig Harrington led the British Open by two strokes. Harrington was at -9 with Sergio Garcia at -8 and back a hole. Harrington just needed to par out to assure himself the win or at least a playoff. Padraig, with Jean van de Velde's shadow lurking, hit not one, but TWO balls into the Barry Burn (the creek on the 18th fairway). He double-bogeyed the hole to go to -7. Garcia came up 18 and needed a ten foot putt for par to win the Open. His putt lipped out. The Spaniard looked completely distraught and a two way playoff started with Harrington and Garcia. (Steve Stricker again wilted in the fresh, cool Scottish air, but it was nice while it lasted....)
Padraig wasn't about to hop in the burn like van de Velde
The playoff consisted of the two men playing holes 1, 16, 17, and 18. Whoever lead after the four holes, wins. If they are still tied, they would play hold 18 over and over again until somebody wins. The playoff didn't last that long. Harrington birdied the first playoff hole while Garcia bogeyed. Harrington hung on to win with an even par score for the four holes while Garcia was +1.
Congratulations to Padraig Harrington. You are a well deserved champion.
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