Padraig Harrington shot a 4-under 68
Sunday to win the Dunhill Links Championship by five strokes at the
Old Course.
Harrington, who also won the event in 2002, won in Europe for the
first time in two years. It also boosted him into second place
behind Paul Casey in the European Order of Merit.
Harrington, who won with a 16-under 271 total, said he would play
at the Mallorca Classic and the Volvo Masters in an attempt to win
the Order of Merit title for the first time.
Third round leader Bradley Dredge (74) shared second place with
Anthony Wall (67) and Edward Loar (70).
Ernie Els, a two-time runner-up, was alone in fifth place after
an eagle on the last hole gave him a 70. Casey (68) shared sixth.
Harrington began the final round one shot behind Dredge, but they
were level after nine holes. Then the Irishman birdied the short
11th while Dredge double-bogeyed after hitting into a greenside
bunker.
Harrington had a four-stroke lead on the last hole and sank a
birdie putt while Dredge made par.
``You don't win too many tournaments when you can come down the
last knowing the job is done,'' Harrington said. ``It's all the more
special when it's St. Andrews.''
Harrington previously won the Dunhill Links when it was the week
after the Ryder Cup. Thend in the Amex (American Express
Championship) last weekend and we knew it was down to tiredness,''
Harrington said. ``So I had no practice rounds here this week to
tire me out and my mental focus was very strong here.''
Dredge's game fell apart on the 174-yard 11th, when he
double-bogeyed, but he thought his seven-iron was perfect.
``It was straight at the flag only to disappear into the bunker.
I didn't have a shot,'' said the Welshman, who won the European
Masters by eight strokes last month.
Loar, a lefty from Dallas who plays mainly on the European Tour,
birdied four out of five on the front nine and shared the lead
briefly. But he fell away on the back nine.
``It was the greatest week of my golfing career, playing at the
home of golf and being paired with Ernie (Els) and Vijay (Singh),''
Loar said. ``This has been an awesome week for me.''
Harrington and his amateur partner, Irish magnate J.P. McManus,
also won the pro-am team event for the second time.
