Just a year after waking up to find the Claret Jug glimmering at the foot of his bed, Padraig Harrington enjoyed a hearty bowl of porridge, flipped open his laptop and perused the Ryder Cup rankings with a grin on his face.
Colin Montgomerie, Padraig Harrington, The Irish Examiner, The Open | in Ryder Cup | Email Article | Post a Comment | Share Article |
One-handed Open champion Padraig Harrington faces another golfing challenge.
He must beat his caddie's two-handicap brother in a long-driving competition using just ONE ARM.
Ladbrokes take a hit
Bookmakers Ladbrokes paid a major price for their role in Padraig Harrington’s successful Open Championship defence.
Padraig Harrington feared he would be labelled a one-hit wonder if he failed to win another Major.
And he will rely on that fear and determination to drive him on to future Major glory and golfing immortality.
Padraig Harrington, The Open | in Majors | Email Article | Post a Comment | Share Article |
It will rank up there with the greatest achievements in Irish sporting history but as he cradled the old Claret Jug for the second year in succession, new world No 3 Padraig Harrington preferred bask in the glory of an imperious victory rather and reflect on where it might place him in the pantheon of Irish sporting greats.
Padraig Harrington, Royal Birkdale, The Open | in Majors | Email Article | Post a Comment | Share Article |
Padraig Harrington had already been declared a “model” Open champion by the R&A weeks before he lifted the Claret Jug for the second time last night.
But his march to a second successive Open title was a dramatic one that started with an injury scare over his right wrist and ended with him raising his arms to the sky in triumph as one of Ireland’s greatest sporting heroes.
Greg Norman played an unwitting part in Padraig Harrington’s fifth place finish in the Open at Muirfield in July 2002. Just a week before the Open, the pair played an exhibition match at Doonbeg in Co Clare to mark the official opening of the Australian’s Irish links design.
Date of birth: 31/08/1971 (36 years old)
Place of birth: Dublin, Ireland
Gutted Graeme McDowell reckons his short game must improve if he is to become a future Open winner.
The Portrush native, 28, was just three shots off the pace at halfway but crashed to a nightmare 80 in Saturday’s wind storms to see his Claret Jug hopes blown away.
Graeme McDowell, The Irish Sun 2008, The Open | Email Article | Post a Comment | Share Article |
Graeme McDowell was looking to the future with optimism despite making up the numbers in the final round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
Just three strokes off the pace on Friday night, he headed for Portrush reflecting on what might have been and vowing to put right the glitches in his game that saw him crash out of contention in Saturday’s storms with a nightmare 80.
Graeme McDowell, The Irish Examiner, The Open | Email Article | Post a Comment | Share Article |