Harrington further elevates status in world golf
IN: News | US PGA | The Honda Classic (2005) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 14 Mar 2005
62 events after his USPGA Tour debut in 1996, Padraig Harrington has won his first USPGA Tour event in the US by edging out his much more fancied opponent Vijay Singh in a two hole playoff to win the Honda Classic.
Harrington has been a regular contender in the US, in fact he has made the cut in all but eight of those events, but he has struggled to get across the line although he has been runner up at the prestigious Players Championship on two occasions and at the Buick Classic once. Interestingly enough he has played well in Florida on a number of occasions and several of his wins internationally have been on bermuda grass greens, which, for a man from Ireland, represents a strange twist.
Since committing to play the USPGA Tour more regularly, Harrington has moved from being a very good international player to one of the leading players in the world. It is true that he has been a top ten world ranked player now for the last three years, but this win today will surely take him close to the top five from his current 8th position. The 33-year-old also has an enviable record in the majors in recent years, having recorded top fives at each of the US Masters, the US Open and the British Open in recent starts. This win elevates him to now being someone who must be considered as a serious major contender in 2005.
Today he seemed a forlorn hope, of winning at least, as he started out in 21st place, some seven shots behind the leader Brett Wetterich. In his favour however was that several of those ahead of him were relatively inexperienced in terms of USPGA Tour contention and as he tore through the front nine in 30, his chances of contending for the title became more and more a possibility. By the time he had added another four birdies in succession from the 10th, he had the outright lead at 15 under and despite a lapse where he missed the green first left, then right at the 14th, then long and left at the 15th for bogeys, he recovered with a solid birdie at the 17th then a very good two putt from over forty feet at the 72nd hole. Playing an hour and forty minutes ahead of the last group it appeared as if his total of 14 under might not hold up against the many players still out on the course who were still very much in the thick of things.
The Sunrise layout was however presenting quite a challenge especially over the closing holes and there would be several who would come and go, most noticeably the overnight leader, Wetterich.
He had done everything asked of him as a leader trying to win his first USPGA Tour event, when he reached the turn in three under 33 and at 15 under he was closing in on what could well be his greatest moment in golf. A bogey at the 10th was quickly compensated for by a birdie at the 12th and as he reached the 13th tee he was again in the lead on his own. His drive was left but not bad although the lie was marginal. He said later it was a bad break, but call it what you will, a bad break or an inexperienced golfer trying to do too much, he flew through the green with his second and was forced to take a penalty drop from the hazard behind. He failed to get his 4th onto the green and then when he did, he had left himself a fifteen footer that he could not make and the resultant triple bogey had all but destroyed his chances of a victory.
When another bogey came at the 15th he was now fighting for whatever he could salvage out of the day and had a chance at the 18th to do just that, but a missed birdie from eight feet brought to a close a heartbreaking hour of golf that had promised so much but delivered so little. Still it was his best finish on the USPGA Tour and his biggest cheque in golf so all was not lost.
Vijay Singh had his chances before and during the playoff to finish it off, but faltered at the final hurdle when he missed a four foot putt to extend the playoff. He had powered through the front nine to be out in 31 and let everyone know that the world number two was looming. He added three further birdies before the 18th to join Harrington at 14 under and awaited the last few groups with the prospect of a playoff definitely on the cards, the question being how many would be part of extended play.
Joe Ogilvie, who like Wetterich and Harrington, had yet to win on the USPGA Tour did little wrong in round four, four birdies and no bogeys seeing him finish in a share of the fourteen under lead. He had a chance to take the title outright with a birdie attempt from fifteen feet at the last but it struggled to the hole and he joined Singh and Harrington back on the 18th tee to decide the winner. He departed the scene quickly after his tee shot on the opening playoff hole found the bunker and bogey was the best he could muster.
The playoff lasted one further hole before Harrington followed up his first hole up and down with yet another at the second and when Singh missed it was all over.
Geoff Ogilvy also led during round four in an attempt to win his second consecutive PGA Tour event, fulfilling the suggestion of several that the floodgates would open for him once he had put his first win in professional golf behind him as he had in Tucson two weeks earlier. When he reached 15 under for the tournament through ten holes he had the lead but as quickly as he got there he was gone with consecutive bogeys at the 11th and 12th.
Ogilvy still had a chance when standing on the 17th tee just one back of the playoff but he failed to get his birdie after a reasonable drive left just an iron in his hand. At the last when perhaps pressing for the miracle birdie from off the green he took double bogey and cost himself a lot of money. He had been unfortunate with his tee shot however when it found a sand filled divot in the fairway. It was disappointing for the Australian but a cheque of US$185,000 will help soften the blow.
Pat Perez was another to have his chances but an ordinary run in the middle of his back nine cost him. He still had a chance at the last with a birdie from the middle of the fairway, but a pulled second would count him out. Now into his fourth season on tour, Perez seems to be closing in on that elusive win.
Of the other Australians in the field, Aaron Baddeley again played well, finishing 11th, Robert Allenby was 14th, Mark Hensby was 22nd, Gavin Coles 34th, Paul Gow 38th, John Senden 52nd and Craig Parry 73rd.
The USPGA Tour now heads to Bay Hill in Orlando where Woods, Singh, Els and Goosen are set to battle it out without the company of Mickelson or for that matter the latest star Harrington.
