Golf

Pádraig Harrington wins Champions Tour event for third year in a row

Scottie Scheffler returned to winning ways on PGA Tour after beating Tom Kim in playoff

Pádraig Harrington of Ireland holds the trophy after winning the final round of the Dick's Sporting Goods Open. Photograph: Drew Hallowell/Getty

Philip Reid
Sun Jun 23 2024 - 22:09

Ever wonder what it’s like living in the Hall of Fame? Well, Pádraig Harrington – a recent inductee – has again let his clubs do the talking, after the 52-year-old Dubliner claimed the Dick’s Open at En-Joie in New York for a third straight year in another hugely impressive display at the tree-lined course where he has been unbeatable.

A final round 68 for a total of 15-under-par 201 gave Harrington a one stroke winning margin over former Masters champion Mike Weir.

Harrington had taken a week’s family holidays and barely touched a golf club after his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in Pinehurst but again produced a winning performance on a course that he has said “fits my eye.”

“I came here and I was surprised, I had done some practice but not on the golf course, and I was really, really poor Tuesday, Wednesday. I got a little bit better every day. You know, I suppose I’m good value for money really. When I was coming down that stretch, you’re not really sure what you’re going to get. I’m either going to hit it stone dead or I’m going to have to get it up and down out of some weird place.

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“It’s entertaining. I wish it wasn’t as entertaining,” quipped Harrington, with an up and down to save par on the 17th from a terrible lie proving critical in closing the deal for an eighth Champions Tour career win. Harrington’s next tournament is the US Seniors Open, before returning to Europe for the Scottish Open and The 152nd Open at Royal Troon.

On the PGA Tour, Shane Lowry continued his strong run of recent form with a top-10 finish in The Travelers – the last of the $20 million signature events – where Scottie Scheffler returned to winning ways after beating Tom Kim at the first hole of sudden death.

Lowry’s closing 67 for 263 left him in tied-ninth position alongside Cameron Young, Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark.

Scheffler’s closing 65 for 22-under-par 258 left him tied with Kim, but the American – winning for the sixth time in a dominant season – won at the first hole of sudden death with a par after Kim’s approach plugged in a greenside bunker and he failed to get up-and-down.

On the DP World Tour, Italy’s Guido Migliozzi emerged from a three-man playoff with Marcus Kinhult and Joe Dean to secure victory: the trio had finished level on 11-under-par 273, before Migliozzi’s birdie at the second hole of sudden death gave him victory.

Migliozzi’s win also earned him a ticket into The Open at Royal Troon.

“I never thought I was done. I’ve always been in position and tried to make birdies and come back and here it is now. It’s an incredible feeling, it’s been an incredible battle, well done to everybody. It’s super, super nice to be here now.

“It was one of my main goals this year to be part of that. It’s just incredible and it’s beautiful to compete at The Open.

“The Open is so special, it’s probably the tournament. It’s a dream to play and it would be a bigger dream to hold the Claret Jug. To play at a beautiful golf course like Troon it will be special. I can’t wait to tee it up at The Open.”

Tom McKibbin shot a joint-low round of the day – a 65 – to close out another fine week on tour, as the 21-year-old Belfastman finished in solo sixth which moved him to 20th on the update Race to Dubai order of merit.

In the OFX Irish Legends at Seapoint, Brazilian Adilson da Silva holed a 12-foot birdie putt at the third extra hole to defeat Sweden’s Patrik Sjoland for his sixth career win on the seniors circuit.

[ One glorious shot: Pádraig Harrington’s defining moment on the road to golf’s Hall of Fame ]

“It’s just wonderful to win again. I’ve been practising so hard, sometimes the game just keeps knocking you down and we start to feel that as players, and you think there’s something wrong with you. This week was about hanging in there,” said da Silva.

There was a historic win for Jacob Skov Olesen as the 25-year-old became the first Danish winner of The Amateur Championship, beating England’s Dominic Clemons by 4 and 3 in the final at Ballyliffin Golf Club in Donegal.

Olesen’s win earned him a place in next month’s Open in Troon, an exemption into next year’s US Open and, by tradition, an invitation to the Masters.

Philip Reid

Philip Reid

Philip Reid is Golf Correspondent of The Irish Times

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