Padraig Harrington Wins the PGA Championship

Padraig Harrington wins his second major this year while walking and playing virtually in lock step with his playoff partner from the 2007 British Open, Sergio Garcia. On the 17^th hole this final round, with both of them hitting 5 irons off the tee, their shots ended up making nearly a perfect triangle with the pin. The difference on this hole though was Padraig birdied the hole to Sergio's par. Back on the 16^th the man who started the final round with the lead and looked cool and calm enough to win the whole thing was Ben Curtis.

Ben hit his tee shot into the hospitality tent whereupon David Feherty commented, "At least he can find a drink there". Curtis saved par on the hole but bogeys on the adjacent holes had him out of comfortable reach of Harrington. Then on the 18^th while Sergio ran to look for a bathroom after his tee shot, Padraig went looking the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that had lingered off and on in the drizzle of the day. Instead of gold though he found the fairway bunker and the tournament was still in doubt.

With Sergio one behind Padraig on the final hole it was a relatively simple par put that could win Harrington the championship when they both had finally made the green. Simple that is for those of us behind the ropes. But for the man who now had two Open Championships behind him the pressure was something he was used to. He made the put and had won the championship save an nearly impossible eagle on the 18^th by Ben Curtis. Curtis did not eagle, Sergio did not have his first major in hand like I had predicted after his Players win this year and Padraig Harrington became, arguably, the best golfer in the world this Sunday.

The early rounds had some interesting development like Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger looking like he was going to play himself onto his own team on Friday. Saturday had more highlights of ducks enjoying the afternoon downpour than of leaders birdies and play was eventually suspended forcing many players to complete 2 rounds of golf on Sunday. JB Holmes, one of the longest drivers on the tour, had to have had the most upsetting Sunday of anyone on the course. Starting the day in the final group tied for 2^nd, he bogeyed and triple bogeyed his way to a tie for 29^th.

Unlike the claret jug sitting on the mantle at Padraig's home back in Ireland, there was no where to pour out a neat pint from the Wanamaker trophy, but it looked just as good in Harrington's hands as the Open trophy did less than a month ago. The man who for years was ranked one of the top golfers in the world, while being a relatively obscure figure across the pond,. is in danger of becoming a household name in America. Europeans have always known of Padraig's toughness on the course, especially Ian Baker Finch who earlier in the day, at the start of the final round, predicted that Harrington would win the PGA Championship.