From a share of 17th place overnight, Padraig Harrington gathered in thousands of pounds with the passage of every hole in dramatic, last round progress at Royal Troon yesterday. Ultimately, a brilliant four-under par 67 for an aggregate of 280 earned him a share of fifth place for £62,500.

But the qualified accountant didn't want to talk about money, afterwards. "I'll think about that later," he said. "Now, I can only think how tremendous it is for me to finish in the top 10 of a major championship."

If Harrington didn't want to think of money, he was only too happy to consider the equivalent in Ryder Cup points. And his reward lifted him to 11th in the table, less than 4,000 points behind Jose-Maria Olazabal in the critical 10th position. It will also mean an invitation into the USPGA Championship at Winged Foot next month.

This represents splendid progress for this fine young man who gained a share of 18th place on his British Open debut at Royal Lytham last year. "My main objective coming here was to get into the top 15 for an exemption into next year's event," he added. "So, I've every reason to be happy."

He had indeed, not only with the quality of his shotmaking, particularly around the greens, but of the manner in which he outscored his celebrated playing-partner, Ernie Els, by two strokes. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of it was Harrington's par at the closing hole.

After pushing his drive into the right rough, he was in a right greenside trap in two. From there, he sent his recovery 10 feet past the pin which was at the back left of the green, only five yards in from the edge. Though he didn't realise it at the time, the putt proved to be worth £15,500 - the difference between being tied fifth and tied sixth with two others.

In the event, Harrington stroked it unerringly into the cup, stretching his right arm after the ball in exultation. "That putt was really nice," he said. "I very much wanted to finish the championship with a par at the 18th."

The Stackstown player got off to a tremendous start, with five birdies on the opening seven holes. Most of them were the product of precise approach play with the exception of the first, where he sank a 15-footer, and the seventh, where a 20-footer found the target.

He then had to survive a rather patchy sequence of holes, however, starting at the Postage Stamp eighth, where he went from bunker to bunker and carded a bogey. And by the time he reached the tee at the long 16th, he had been knocked back to three-under for the championship.

There, he hit a three-wood off the tee to lay up short of the fairway ditch. Determined to go for a score, Harrington then hit his driver 285 yards to within a few yards of the front of the green. And he could hardly contain himself when a 22-yard chip popped into the hole for an eagle three.

At the short 17th, however, he gave one of the strokes back to the course when, in attempting to cut a three-iron towards the target 223 yards away, he pulled it left of the green. "That was the only really bad shot I hit all day," he said, ruefully.

But a hole later, the outcome was entirely satisfactory. And apart from a handsome cheque, he retained his place as Darren Clarke's partner in the Irish team for the World Cup in Kiawah Island in November.

"In terms of importance, today's performance ranks pretty close to the Spanish Open win last year, but that would have done more for my career, at the time," he said. "Essentially, I got my reward today for good chipping and putting and you've got to do that to score around here."

Paul McGinley, who received £5,450 for a share of 66th place, would have empathised with that view, certainly where the blade was concerned. Joint leader at the halfway stage 12 months ago, he failed to find any real sparkle, even at the finish, in a closing round of 71.

"I'm afraid my confidence is pretty low right now," he said. And the figures told the tale. Over 72 holes, which he covered in 11 over par, McGinley carded only seven birdies.