 Harrington wins 3rd career major title
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-12 08:17
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan: Padraig Harrington fired back-to-back 66s Sunday to win the 90th PGA Championship, proving once again that when the three-time major winner gets on a roll he is hard to stop. Ireland's Harrington rallied to beat playing partner Sergio Garcia by two strokes in the final round, snapping Europe's 78-year drought in the final major championship of the year. He is the first European to win consecutive majors in the same year and he's won three of the last six major championships. "I have really focused hard on the majors the last two years," said Harrington. "My whole schedule is built around the majors. "I have turned up to other events and unless I get into contention it feels like a race or a sprint. "Whereas a major feels like a marathon. I feel like I can be patient and take my time. I love the feeling of knowing that it is going to come down to the back nine and who can do it under pressure on the last nine holes." It was not only a history making day for Harrington but also a marathon session of golf. The 36-year-old was forced to go the extra mile for the win as the leaders had to play 36 holes on Sunday after rain interrupted Saturday's third round. "I am a great believer in making it your own responsibility whether you win or don't win. I knew I was playing catch-up and those are the moments that change tournaments when you take shots on and they come off. And you have to do it on the back nine. You are not going to win any other way." Harrington won even though by his own admission he didn't play his best golf this week. He shot a 4-over 74 on Friday to go with an opening-round 71. One of the ways he was able to re-focus was to tell himself his early round problems stemmed from not drinking enough water.
"I had a discussion with my trainer back home and it was possible I was dehydrated," Harrington said. "So that gave me something to focus on. I focused on re-hydrating myself. Whether that was the cause or not I don't know. It might have just been tiredness. "But at least I had something tangible that I could pin it on and try to put effort into it and it gave me the belief that if I get my hydration right my coordination would come back." Harrington, who is the first Irishman to win a PGA Championship, is not only the top golfer in Europe but is ranked third in the world. "I have probably been the leading golfer in Europe for close to six years," Harrington said. "It is a big step to move up and start competing on a different level. I've got Tiger (Woods) and I've got Phil (Mickelson) ahead of me. "It is a long way to catch Tiger at the top. But I know that the only way of focusing on doing that is to focus on controling what I can do. I can't control Tiger or Phil. I am going to continue to strive to improve." But he is going to have to wait to get a shot at Woods, who is sidelined with season-ending knee surgery and probably won't return until just before next year's Masters. "I love the idea of a back nine of a major on Sunday so much that I am actually disappointed I am seven months away from the next major," Harrington said. AFP (China Daily 08/12/2008 page23) |
