An eerily familiar collapse couldn't keep Padraig Harrington from winning the British Open championship Sunday at Carnoustie Golf Club in Scotland.
After conjuring memories of the infamous Jean Van de Velde by throwing away a lead on the final hole of regulation play, the Irishman recovered to defeat Sergio Garcia by one stroke in a four-hole playoff to capture his first major title.
Padraig Harrington's playoff victory on Sunday gave the Irishman his first major championship title.
(Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Harrington held a one-shot advantage over Garcia — the 54-hole leader — heading into the final hole of regulation. But Harrington's first two shots found the winding Barry Burn and he ended up with a disastrous double-bogey six to fall a shot behind.
That gave Garcia — also searching for his first major — a chance to win with a par on the 18th. But the Spaniard's par putt lipped out, dropping him into a tie with Harrington at 7-under for the tournament and forcing a four-hole playoff.
Harrington immediately took command on the first playoff hole, making birdie to Garcia's bogey. After both men parred the next two holes, Harrington again made things interesting on the 18th, pulling his drive into the rough.
But he recovered to make bogey against Garcia's par to become the second Irishman to capture the Claret Jug. Fred Daly won it 60 years ago at Hoylake.
"I think if I had lost, it would have been hard to take it," Harrington said. "But because I had a chance, I didn't let myself get down about taking a six. I convinced myself if there was a playoff, I would do the best in it."
Though Harrington bounced back to win the tournament, his stumble on the 72nd hole was reminiscent of Van de Velde's legendary collapse in 1999, the last time the British Open was held at Carnoustie. Needing only a double-bogey on the final hole to secure the title, the Frenchman made a triple and ended up losing in a playoff.
On Sunday, it was Garcia who tasted a devastating defeat after going into the final round with a three-shot lead.
"To tell you the truth, I don't feel like I did anything wrong," said Garcia, who closed with a 73 and was 1-over in the playoff. "I really didn't miss a shot in the playoff. I hit unbelievable putts. They just didn't go in."
Relative unknown Andres Romero of Argentina began the day seven shots off the lead and mounted an early charge Sunday. At one point he surged into a two-shot lead. But a pair of double bogeys on the back nine dashed Romero's title hopes, and he wound up in third place at 6-under for the championship.
South Africa's Ernie Els and Australia's Richard Green, whose 64 was Sunday's best round, finished tied for fourth at 5-under.
Canadian Mike Weir finished tied for eighth at 3-under after shooting a 1-under 70 on Sunday.
World No. 1 Tiger Woods, who was trying for his third consecutive British Open title, also carded a 1-under final round to finish tied for 12th at 2-under.
