Harrington charges to glory

Harrington: third major title

USPGA Championship
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US unless stated
-3 P Harrington (Ire)
-1 S Garcia (Spn)
-1 B Curtis
+1 H Stenson (Swe)
+1 C Villegas (Col)

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Ireland's Padraig Harrington claimed his second sucessive major title with victory in the USPGA, as Sergio Garcia once again failed to convert a winning position.

The Spaniard led with three holes to play, but dumped his approach at 16 into water and then missed a four-foot birdie putt at the next to hand the initiative to the Dubliner.

The Open champion needed no second invitation, as he made a six-foot birdie putt on 17 and then scrambled a magnificent par at the last to become the first European-born player since naturalised American Tommy Armour in 1930 to lift the Wannamaker Trophy.

Harrington signed for two 66s on Sunday - the first as he completed his weather-delayed third round - producing a wondrous display of putting to claim his third major title.

In the process he denied Garcia a maiden major for the second time in just over 12 months. Harrington beat Garcia in a play-off at the 2007 Open after the Spaniard once again got himself into a winning position only to let it slip.

It was on the back nine where the tournament was won. Harrington had four birdies, Garcia none, and he came home in five shots better than his playing partner.

Ben Curtis started the final round with a one-shot lead over Swede Henrik Stenson and American JB Holmes after shooting 68 in the weather-delayed third round in the morning.

A birdie at the first increased his lead as Stenson bogeyed and the hapless Holmes took seven.

Superbly

But Garcia started superbly with a birdie and then an eight iron to four feet for an eagle at the second. The Spaniard picked up another shot at the sixth to be out in 31 and when Curtis failed to get up and down from sand at the 10th, Garcia led for the first time.

But Harrington was also making steady progress and three birdies in four holes from the ninth saw him join Garcia in the lead at three under.

Harrington then failed to get up and down after overshooting the 14th and Garcia led again, but he was joined by Curtis - playing in the group behind - when the American drained a 12-foot birdie putt at the same hole.

But Curtis dropped a shot at the next after a poor drive and Garcia headed down 16 with a one-shot lead.

Drama

But it was here the drama really started as he pushed his approach into the water and did well to make a bogey five, while Harrington tugged his approach left and then drained a 15-foot par putt to share the lead.

Harrington fired his approach at the 238-yard 17th to six feet, Garcia replying moments later with an even better shot, but it was the Spaniard who blinked, missing his birdie try after Harrington had drained his.

Both men missed the fairway at the brutal 18th but Garcia at least muscled his approach into a greenside bunker.

He looked favourite once more as Harrington found sand off the tee and duffed his second into thick rough. But the Irishman's will to win is almost incredible at times and he played a superb approach shot to 12 feet and duly holed the par putt.

With the tournament lost, it was almost inevitable that Garcia would then miss from 10 feet and he duly did, which meant he shared second place with Curtis.

Some consolation for both runners-up is that they have played their way onto their respective Ryder Cup teams, although this day belonged to the remarkable Harrington.

Willpower

He told Sky Sports: "It is totally different to The Open. I was very confident in The Open. Here I hit some of the wildest golf shots ever hit on a golf course on Friday.

"In the end it was a lot of sheer willpower."

Garcia added: "If a couple of things had gone differently, we would have been talking differently. But they went Padraig's way, not mine."