No joy for Harrington as poor finish and Cabrera’s brilliance costs him Senior PGA

Padraig Harrington produced a memorable final-round charge before some late mistakes, and Angel Cabrera’s brilliance denied him the Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club.

After losing out to Steve Stricker in a playoff in 2023, the Dubliner (53) was on track to claim the oldest of the five senior majors when he played his first 14 holes in a scintillating seven-under to lead by two strokes.

But he double-bogeyed the 15th after taking two to escape from deep rough, failed to birdie the par-five 16th after another wild drive and then three-putted the last, missing a short par putt to card a four-under 68.

In the end, he finished tied for second with Thomas Bjorn on seven-under, one behind Cabrera (55), who shot 69 to win his second senior major on eight-under just six days after claiming the Regions Tradition in Alabama last Monday.

Hoping for a good day with the driver and the putter after some scrappy play on Friday and Saturday, Harrington was tied for seventh overnight, just two shots behind leaders Cabrera, Retief Goosen, Jason Caron and Philip Archer.

But the Hall of Famer was soon a factor as made a lightning start just 30 minutes northwest of Washington DC.

After rapping in birdies at the first and second, he added two more at the sixth and eighth to lead by a shot on seven-under from Cabrera as he made the turn in four-under 32.

Cabrera birdied the eighth to draw level, but a two-putt birdie at the 11th restored Harrington’s one-shot lead over the Argentinian, who had to make an eight-footer for par at the ninth to remain in touch.

As Cabrera missed from 12 feet for a birdie at the 10th, Harrington took advantage of a big drive and wedge to 10 feet at the 12th to roll in his sixth birdie of the day and extend his lead to two strokes over the former Masters and US Open champion.

Cabrera closed the gap to one when he got up and down from an awkward stance for birdie at the par-five 11th. 

But Harrington responded with another birdie from 30 feet at the 14th, where a rules official allowed him to wipe away a birdie dropping in his line (ruled a loose impediment), and he went two clear again on 10-under.

He had four shots to spare over Goosen, Kjeldsen and Stewart Cink in third place but took six at the 424-yard 15th after taking two shots to escape from heavy rough and three to get down from short of the green with the putter.

The double-bogey left him tied for the lead with Cabrera on eight-under, a shot ahead of Thomas Bjorn.

But he found more heavy rough off the tee on the par-five 16th and after failing to make birdie, Cabrera took advantage to edge in front.

After making key par saves at the 13th and 14th, the burly Argentinian birdied the 15th from five feet to claim a one-shot lead on nine-under

While Cabrera missed a six-footer for birdie at the 16th that would have doubled his lead, he parred the 17th and three-putted for a bogey at the last for a 69 and his second major title in the space of a week.

It was Cabrera’s third win since he was released from prison in August 2023 after spending 30 months behind bars for gender violence.

“I'm extremely happy after winning two tournaments in a row, and also three tournaments within a year,” Cabrera said through an interpreter.

“I'm extremely happy especially after everything that happened throughout all years.

“I didn't know it was going to happen this quickly winning two tournaments in a row, especially with all these great players around this tour.

“So, yeah, I feel very emotional and proud.”