Padraig Harrington

Harrington defeated Sergio Garcia in a four-hole playoff to win the 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie. In the process, he became the first player from Ireland in 60 years to capture the Claret Jug, following Fred Daly at Hoylake in 1947. Earlier in the season, he broke a 25-year barren spell for the home nation at the Irish Open, defeating Bradley Dredge at Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort in a playoff to match John O'Leary's efforts in 1982.
Secured the Harry Vardon Trophy as the European Tour's No. 1 player after the Volvo Masters, where he narrowly edged Ryder Cup teammate Paul Casey. Then he earned the Order of Merit title after winning his second Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title in October. He finished second on the Order of Merit in 2001 and '02 and third in 2003 and '04. He became the first Irishman to win a U.S. PGA Tour event at the 2005 Honda Classic and followed that with a second success at the 2005 Barclays Classic.
In 2008, Harrington defended his Open Championship title, winning at Royal Birkdale and becoming the 16th player in Open history to accomplish that feat, and the first European player to do it since James Braid in 1905-06. He capped a special major run when he made a 15-foot par putt on the final green to capture the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club. That victory ended the longest European drought, 78 years, in a major. The previous European-born PGA Champion was Scotland's Tommy Armour in 1930.
Harrington's win at Oakland Hills was his second consecutive major championship triumph and his third in the previous six majors. Shot 66-66 on the weekend to beat Sergio Garcia and Ben Curtis by two strokes. He was voted PGA Tour Player of the Year, the first European to achieve that honor.
Teamed with Paul McGinley at Kiawah Island in 1997 to win the World Cup for Ireland for the first time in 39 years. Completed an accounting degree before turning professional. Coached by Pete Cowen and also sees sports psychologist Bob Rotella. Member of six Ryder Cup teams, 1999, 2002, '04, '06, '08, and '10 and captain in '21.
2011 Notes: Advanced to the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedExCup for the fifth time in as many years but finished 89th for his worst showing in the competition. Harrington started 2011 ranked 23rd in the world but ended the year 85th.
2012 Notes: Played in 28 events around the world, with a best-finish T-4th at U.S. Open. Finished 43rd in the FedExCup standings and was 34th in The Race to Dubai standings. Won the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda, an unofficial event.
2013 Notes: Again played in 28 events. Had four top 10s, with his best a 4th-place result at Volvo Golf Champions. Finished 130th in the FedExCup standings and 116th in the money race. In The Race to Dubai, finished 68th.
2014 Notes: Posted a T-5th finish at his first start, the Volvo Golf Champions. It was his only top-10 result until December, when he won the Indonesia Open on the Asian Tour. On the PGA Tour for the second consecutive season, he failed to advance to the FedExCup Playoffs, finishing the season 188th in the standings. The year included seven cuts made in 16 starts, with his lone top-25 finish coming at the HP Byron Nelson Championship (T-22nd). Finished the year 97th in The Race to Dubai.
2015 notes: He missed his first three cuts on the PGA Tour and finished T-56th at the Northern Trust. Was playing in the Honda Classic on a sponsor exemption and entered the week 297th in the world rankings. In an unscheduled Monday finish at the Honda Classic, he defeated South Florida native Daniel Berger on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to claim his sixth career PGA Tour title and second at the Honda Classic (2005). After the Honda win didn't crack the top 40 on any tour until his T-20th at the Open Championship. Finished the PGA Tour playing 21 events and making nine cuts. He was 103rd in the FedEx Cup race and 73rd on the money list. On the European Tour played in 13 events making 10 cuts. Best finish was T-20th at the Open Championship and was 119th in the Race to Dubai.
2016 Notes: Played in 16 PGA Tour events making 11 cuts with one top-ten. Played in 14 European Tour events making nine cuts with one win at the Portugal Masters. He finished 53rd in the Race to Dubai with euros710,496 and was 139th in the FedExCup standings and 137th on the money list. On the PGA Tour had one top-ten, T-6th in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Also had a top-ten on the Japan Tour, T-9th at the Handa Global Cup.
2017 Notes: Played in 11 PGA Tour events making four cuts, and was 200th in the FedExCup ranking. Best finish T-17th at the Travelers Championship. On the European Tour played in 12 events making nine cuts. He had two top-ten finishes, best finish of T-4th at the Scottish Open and 4th at the Turkish Airlines Open. He finished 117th in the Race to Dubai standings.
2018 Notes: Played in 16 PGA Tour events making nine cuts. Best finish, T-28th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Shane Lowry as his partner. Played in 14 European Tour events making ten cuts with three top-ten finishes. Had a T-7th at the Alfred Dunhill Links, 5th at the KLM Open, and runner-up at the D+D Real Czech Masters, two shots back of winner Andrea Pavan. Was 85th in the Race to Dubai. Over the Christmas break, it was discovered that he had a broken bone in his wrist. He thinks it happened at home while walking down the stairs. He had a cast put on it and had to cancel his plans to play in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
2019 Notes: He played in 12 PGA Tour events making two cuts. He played in 15 European Tour events making nine cuts, he finished 159th in the Race to Dubai. He got good news when he was named the European Ryder Cup captain for the scheduled 2020 matches at Whistling Straits (eventually played in 2021). Harrington has supported the team by being Vice-Captain for the European squad in 2014, '16, and '18. The wrist took longer to heal, and he wasn't able to return until mid-March at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia. He didn't start hitting balls until a week before, for all the problems and delays finished T-30th, and the wrist and thumb did Ok. Still easing back, he took a week off and played at the Valero Texas Open, finishing T-71st but playing with no pain. He played in the Zurich Classic and Wells Fargo, missing the cut. He was T-12th at the AT&T Byron Nelson. Added another T-12th at the Porsche European Open, he ended his year with a 20th place finish at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
2020 Notes: Was T-50th at the Dubai Desert Classic. After missing the cut at the Arnold Palmer, he started having pains in his knee. He came back and played in the Irish Open three months later, missing the cut, then was T-9th at the Scottish Open. Because of his bad knee decided not to play in the PGA Championship. After finishing T-14th at the Scottish Championship, finished the year in America with a T-26th at the Bermuda Championship and T-32nd at the Vivint Houston Open.
2021 Notes: Played in 16 PGA Tour events making eight cuts with one top-ten finish. Was 169th in the FedExCup standings. On the European Tour played in 12 events making eight cuts with three top-ten finishes. Was 57th in the Race to Dubai. He was T-6th at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, eight shots back of winner Paul Casey. Shot a final-round 69 to finish T-4th at the PGA Championship, his first top-10 on the PGA Tour since the 2016 Sentry Tournament of Champions. It was his first top-10 in a major championship since he was T-4th at the 2012 U.S. Open. Entered the week with missed cuts in 11 of his last 14 major championship appearances. Ended his European Tour season with a T-8th at the AVIV Dubai Championship. Harrington turned 50 in August and played in his first Champions Tour event at the Constellation Furyk & Friends, he finished T-55th. The next week finished T-18th at the SAS Championship.
2022 Notes: Played in 19 PGA Tour Champions events with 13 top-ten finishes. He was 2nd in the Schwab Rankings and money list. Was T-9th at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic. At the Chubb Classic on PGA Tour Champions was T-56th. On the PGA Tour, was T-42nd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Earned his first top-ten on the PGA Tour Champions Tour in his fourth start with a T-2nd finish at the Rapiscan Systems Classic. He was six back of winner Steven Alker. Shot a final-round 64 to finish T-2nd at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, a shot back of winner Steve Flesch. For the third time in his last five starts finished runner-up as he was six shots back of Steve Stricker at the Regions Tradition. Harrington made his first Senior win a major when he won the U.S. Senior Open by a shot over Steve Stricker. With rounds of 71-65-66, he led after the 2nd round and had a five-shot lead going into the final round. But he had to make three gutty pars on the final three holes to beat Stricker, who started the final round 8 back and shot a final round 65. Seeking back-to-back senior major victories, he finished runner-up at The Senior Open Championship. Posted 66-69-69-67 to finish one shot behind champion Darren Clarke. It was his fifth top-2 finish in his last seven starts on PGA Tour Champions. He was T-3rd at the Shaw Charity Classic. He got his second career victory on PGA Tour Champions, recording 66-67-67 to tally a three-shot win at the DICK'S Sporting Goods Open. Seeking back-to-back victories, he finished T-4th at The Ally Challenge at 12-under. Opened with 68-66 before closing with 70. It was his eighth top-5 in his first 12 starts of the season. Won for the third time in the season at the Ascension Charity Classic. Shot his best career-low 54-hole score on PGA Tour Champions this season (199). Finished T-3rd at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, two shots back of winner Steven Alker. After opening with 72, he carded back-to-back 67s on the weekend en route to finish 4th at the TimberTech Championship. Closed his rookie season on PGA Tour Champions with a win at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Set the PGA Tour Champions record for a 72-hole score (257) and tied the record for strokes under par in a 72-hole event (27-under). It was his fourth win of the season, tied for most among all players with Steven Alker and Steve Stricker. Harrington's seven-shot triumph was the largest margin of victory in the 2022 season. Finished No. 2 in the final Charles Schwab Cup standings.
2023 Notes: Making his first start of the 2023 season, he was 4th at the Abu Dhabi Championship, two shots back of winner Victor Perez. In his first Champions Tour start of the season finished T-2nd at the Chubb Classic, three back of winner Bernhard Langer. Eagled the 18th hole in each of the last two rounds, closing with 65 after opening with 67-70. He was T-10th at the Valero Texas Open. Finished T-7th at the Hoag Classic and T-5th at The Galleri Classic for his sixth consecutive top-10 on PGA Tour Champions. He was T-5th at the Regions Tradition and then lost a playoff to Steve Stricker to finish runner-up at the Kitchenaid Senior PGA Championship. Shot a final round 63 to win the Dick's Sporting Goods Open by a shot over Joe Durant.