GOLF: Padraig Harrington opened the 2004 European Tour season in the same sensational style he began last season with a dramatic victory at the Omega Hong Kong Open yesterday.

Harrington became the first person to win successive opening events on the European Tour, having captured the BMW Asian Open in Taiwan last year.

Yesterday the Dubliner had to birdie the last two holes to fend off a spirited challenge from South Africa's Hennie Otto to finish on 11 under par to win by one stroke.

Darren Clarke fired a final round, three-under-par 67 to finish in joint third place on seven under. Clarke was joined on that mark by Thomas Bjorn of Denmark (68), England's Chris Gane (69) and Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson (69).

Otto had charged ahead with a run of three successive birdies to set the clubhouse lead at 10 under par, leaving Harrington the task of picking up two shots on the final two holes for victory.

The 32-year-old nearly blew it all on the 16th, where his approach flew over the back onto the lip of the bunker, but he saved par and then pulled off a stunning finale.

After sinking a 12-foot putt to draw level on the 17th, Harrington left himself a 20-foot effort on the undulating final green for the title.

Otto was on the putting green preparing for a play-off, so would not have seen Harrington size up the putt from every angle, but he would have heard the cheers from the delighted galleries.

It was Harrington's eighth career victory, and the perfect way to end a year and start a season.

"When I walked up the line jumped out at me, six inches right of the hole, uphill right to left," he said.

"If you are going to hole a putt, this is going to be your favourite putt. I felt good about it. I hit a perfect putt, everything about it was good and I am happy it did just as I thought it would do.

"Since I won the TPC in May I have had an average year and have been really looking to win one of the last events in order to prove my year's standing in my own mind.

"This win here is my second win of 2003, two wins is pretty good in any year and I can put this down as a good year now."

Harrington started the day a shot behind overnight leader Christopher Hanell but moved ahead with successive early birdies and was cruising to victory.

Hanell, defending champion Jacobson and Gane all threatened, but Harrington was unfazed.

"I was happy with my game, I was expecting to do well and knew that a lot of people would have to shoot well to keep up with me," he said.

"The first nine holes I focused really well and it was as easy a three-under-par as I've ever shot."

But things began to go wrong on the way in, starting with a lost ball and bogey on 10 and another dropped shot on 14.

"I was just trying to stay ahead of Christopher over the next three holes and it was only when I got to 16 I realised Hennie had overtaken me," he said.

"My mindset changed totally, I got very aggressive and really got back into focus on those last three holes. It was nice to turn it around like that."

The win was worth €94,205 for Harrington, while Clarke collected €27,249 for his share of third place

Otto, who led the British Open championship during the first round, missed a five-foot putt on the last that would have left him two shots clear and heaped the pressure on Harrington. As it was, the 27-year-old was focusing on the achievement of an impressive second-place finish, rather than the one that got away.

"If you'd given me second place at the start of the week, I would have taken it," he said. "It's certainly a big confidence boost for the new season. I just came up a bit short."

Tour rookie Richard McEvoy, who led on 10 under par after two rounds, eventually tied for 15th on minus four, alongside his boyhood idol Nick Faldo.