Harrington beaten in play-off in Arizona

Padraig Harrington missed out on the 12th win of his PGA TOUR Champions career when he bogeyed the last and then lost at the first play-off hole to New Zealander Steven Alker at the Cologuard Classic in Arizona.

The Dubliner (54) went into the final round tied for the lead with Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee at La Paloma Country Club in Tucson.

He feared a final round charge from the chasing pack, and it came from defending champion Alker, who shot a six-under 65 to set the target at 15-under.

They were neck and neck coming down the back nine as Harrington turned in three-under 33 and was forced to respond to the Kiwi’s bogey-free 65.

Harrington lost the lead when he bogeyed the 10th, and Alker birdied the 11th up ahead to get to 14-under.

But Harrington also birdied the 11th to draw level and when Alker birdied the 16th to lead on his own, Harrington birdied the difficult 13th to tie for the lead again.

He then went on to make a 10-footer for a two at the 17th to take a one-shot lead to the 18th.

But missed the green and made bogey to card a four under 67 and find himself in a play-off with the defending champion, who won the season-long Charles Schwab Cup in 2022 and 2024.

Alker (54), who was nine shots off the lead after the first round before carding a 62 on Saturday. went on to birdie the par-four 18th from five feet in sudden-death to take the $330,000 winner’s cheque.

Harrington won $193,600 to take his career earnings on the PGA TOUR Champions to $9.3 million from 67 starts.

That’s an average pay cheque of $138,000 for the three-time Major champion, who won the Senior Open and his second US Senior Open last season.