Harrington closes in on Casey after Dunhill
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2006 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship | Wrap | 09 Oct 2006
Padraig Harrington emerged from an early final round battle with Bradley Dredge to take out the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship for the second time and in doing has created an opportunity to win the European Tour money list title for the first time.
Harrington would make it an even greater day for the Irish by teaming with his good friend JP McManus to win the Teams event.
Harrington played with the third round leader Bradley Dredge in today’s final round and they were locked in close tussle throughout much of the first nine holes. The par three 11th would seal the fate of Dredge after his tee shot finished in a horror lie in the bunker and as he struggled to a double bogey, Harrington birdied and the three shot swing had Harrington in front.
Harrington was rock solid from that point on, adding one final birdie at the last and when the dust had settled he was the winner by a massive fives shots over Dredge, Anthony Wall and the Asian Tour’s Edward Loar.
Harrington has now made the decision to play the Mallorca Classic in two weeks time to try and reduce the lead that Paul Casey has on him on the European Tour money list and therefore set up a tremendous last tournament battle at the Volvo Masters for the coveted number one position. With €2.191 million Harrington currently trails Casey by €218,000 but has just €30,000 over third placed David Howell.
Wall has continued a tremendous season in 2006. He will rue three last bogeys, which cost him any chance of running down the leader but it was yet another good week in a season which has seen many of them, in fact this was his third runner up placing. The €282,000 will see him move to 12th on the money list compared with his previous best of 44th.
Loar, a US Walker Cup player as an amateur, has played on the Asian Tour where the 28-year-old from Dallas has experienced considerable success. This, however, will be by far his biggest cheque in the game. The Dunhill Links invites players who have had success on various money lists and he took full advantage of what was a great opportunity.
Ernie Els eagled the reachable par four last at St Andrews to finish in a share of 5th continuing an improvement in his form in recent weeks.
The only Australian to make the cut out of the 16 who lined up was Marcus Both but he could only manage to finish in 55th.
The European Tour has no event this week but will be in Mallorca in Spain in ten days time.
