At long last, Padraig Harrington became a winner again in Spain.
A season destined to be remembered for seven runners-up finishes was turned
around when the 30-year-old sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the last green to deny
his fellow Dubliner Paul McGinley the Volvo Masters title at Montecastillo.
The victory - his first since the Madrid Open last season - was worth £333,330
and took Harrington ahead of Clarke into second place on the Order of Merit
behind South African Retief Goosen and to a best-ever 10th in the world.
"This is by far the biggest event I've won, but it's a little more special
because of the seconds," he said.
"Every time you're second you ask some terrible questions of yourself and
choking would be top of the pile.
"But I believe my name was on this trophy and to hole a putt like that on the
last is every little kid's dream.
"For half an hour I could hardly speak. That's what it meant. If I'd made
mistakes and been second again I'd have been gutted."
Harrington edged out McGinley, his World Cup partner in Japan this week and
the man with whom he won that event in 1997, with a closing 66 for a
12-under-par total of 204.
The event had been cut to 54 holes because of high winds on Friday and
Saturday and with three holes to play there was a four-way tie between
Harrington, McGinley, Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke and Australian Adam
Scott.
Harrington and McGinley both birdied the long 16th, but Clarke went in the
lake with his second and bogeyed.
Then the issue was settled on the last when Harrington made his putt and
McGinley, in the final group behind, just missed from 40 feet.
McGinley, friends with Harrington since their schooldays, said: "Obviously
it's Padraig's day. He doesn't back off and he's been unlucky not to win this
season.
"The law of averages was going to balance out eventually. I am happy for
him.
"I know what he has gone through with all those second places. People
criticised him and that wasn't deserved.
"I rallied well after a very bad start. I let everyone back in, but regrouped
well. And it's been a good season for me - I've made great progress and had 12
top-10 finishes from 23 starts."
He also earned himself a Ryder Cup debut and could well partner Harrington at
The Belfry next September.
Scott, winner of the first tour event of the year in South Africa, had set the
clubhouse target with a 65, but suspected a three-putt par at the 16th had cost
him his chance of victory.
It was quite remarkable the 21-year-old from Adelaide was able to play at all,
though. A week ago he dislocated his right knee playing soccer on the eve of the
Italian Open.
"I feared that was it for the year," he said.
But the joint popped back in and when the result of a scan came on Monday he
was given the all-clear to fly to Jerez.
After nine earlier birdies Scott was left to regret three-putting the 16th for
par.
He began his first full European campaign with a win in South Africa, but had
to be content with finishing it with a third place on 10 under.
Clarke shared fourth spot with Swedes Robert Karlsson and Mathias Gronberg one
further back.
McGinley had started the day with a two-stroke lead, but went to the turn in
37 to Clarke's 32.
Harrington, out in 34 himself, birdied the 10th and 12th to draw level and
McGinley came back into the picture with a 35-foot eagle putt at the 522-yard
12th.
Seventh on the Order of Merit the past two seasons, Harrington's leap to
second with £1.3million means he can now look back on easily his best year.
And, of course, there is the World Cup to come and a couple of huge money
events in South Africa and America. He will certainly be looking ahead now, not
back.
Not just to all those second places - 16 in all in his career - but also to
The Belfry last year.
He was five clear with a round to play, then was disqualified when it was
discovered he had not signed his first round card. That haunted him for a while,
but no more.
And gone too is the memory of the World Match Play a month ago. He was three
up with 12 to play on Ian Woosnam and became "disgusted" with himself for
losing. He admitted after that his patience was running out.
But three birdies in the last four holes today - he had also holed a 10-footer
on the tough 464-yard 15th - proved an awful lot to himself.
Collated final totals (GB & Ire unless stated)
204 P Harrington 67 71 66 (£333,330)
205 P McGinley 66 69 70 (£222,220)
206 A Scott (Aus) 67 74 65 (£125,200)
207 R Karlsson (Swe) 71 68 68, D Clarke 70 68 69, M Gronberg (Swe) 70 67 70
208 T Johnstone (Zim) 69 72 67, C Montgomerie 71 69 68, B Langer (Ger) 69 70
69
209 R Goosen (Rsa) 68 75 66, D Howell 69 73 67<
210 G Turner (Nzl) 72 70 68, D Robertson 69 72 69, G Evans 69 71 70, R Wessels
(Rsa) 70 70 70
211 P Lonard (Aus) 65 78 68, P Price 70 73 68, A Cabrera (Arg) 69 73 69, JM
Olazabal (Spa) 69 70 72
212 S Webster 70 71 71
213 S Hansen (Den) 72 73 68, C Wi (Kor) 70 72 71, N Fasth (Swe) 72 67 74
214 R Gonzalez (Arg) 71 76 67, P Lawrie 74 73 67, D Lynn 71 71 72
215 C Pettersson (Swe) 70 74 71, J Bickerton 73 75 67, N O'Hern (Aus) 69 72
74, P O'Malley (Aus) 77 74 74
216 MA Jimenez (Spa) 70 74 72, B Davis 68 75 73, M Campbell (Nzl) 73 72 71
217 S Gallacher 70 76 71, A Wall 72 71 74
218 J Hugo (Rsa) 72 72 74, M Mouland 70 74 74, M McNulty (Zim) 69 74 75, T
Levet (Fra) 69 76 73, S Kjeldsen (Den) 70 75 73, B Lane 71 75 72, R Jacquelin
(Fra) 72 74 72, R Green (Aus) 72 71 75, G Owen 73 76 69
219 P Fulke (Swe) 73 72 74, A Coltart 70 76 73, M Lundberg (Swe) 73 74 72,
T Bjorn (Den) 73 69 77, F Jacobson (Swe) 73 77 69
221 I Poulter 64 81 76, I Garbutt 71 76 74, P Casey 76 74 71
222 A Hansen (Den) 69 74 79, L Westwood 69 76 77, S Struver (Ger) 72 79 71
223 R Russell 70 77 76
224 H Stenson (Swe) 81 73 70, J Rose 69 83 72
225 B Rumford (Aus) 70 81 74
226 G Havret (Fra) 70 79 77
227 O Karlsson (Swe) 72 79 76
228 D Lee 75 78 75
230 S Ballesteros (Spa) 79 80 71
Disqualified I Woosnam
Withdrew G Orr, W Bennett
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