Padraig’s late gaffe gifts title to Tiger
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Monday August 10 2009
Padraig Harrington's titanic bid for a first World Golf Championship went the same way as the illfated liner at Firestone yesterday as Ireland’s triple Major Champion pitched his ball into water on his way to a heart-rending triple-bogey eight at the 16th hole.
Harrington had led Tiger by one approaching the monster 667 yard par five after Woods stumbled to back-toback bogeys at 13 and 14. The Dubliner looked to have the Bridgestone Invitational within his grasp when Woods carved his tee shot right into trouble for the third time in four holes.
Yet just as we were writing him off, Tiger showed true class, hitting his ball out to 170 yards before playing an eightiron of the ages to two feet for an astounding birdie.
Harrington, who’d fought his way back from two strokes behind through nine holes to turn the screw on the World No 1, hit his own approach over the back of the green and into deep rough. Determined not to leave his ball in the long grass, he made a full-blooded swing which sailed over the putting surface and into the water. With that illfated swing, dreams of a famous victory perished as Woods comfortably closed out victory with a birdie on the last to win by four shots (-12) from Harrington and Australia’s Robert Allenby.
Harrington first realised he’d be paired with Tiger in the final round when he looked up at the scoreboard leaving the 18th green on Saturday and noticed the world No 1 was snapping at his heels.
“I was surprised,” he’d admit that evening, adding: “I thought ‘there he is, seven under, a three-shot lead, is that enough? Probably not! Now I really wish that (birdie) putt went in on 18’.
“I’d been trying to put as much room between me and the field but at the end of the day, there’s probably never enough room between you and Tiger.”
How prophetic those words appeared as Woods devoured that overnight lead as ravenously as the sandwich he consumed at the side of the second green after holing-out from 24 feet for eagle three.
As Tiger savoured his snack, Harrington had to scramble for his five. After he’d driven into a fairway bunker and laid up to 68 yards at this 526-yard hole, the Irishman’s wedge shot over the flag drew gasps of disbelief as it sucked a good 20 yards back and off the side of the green into deep collar rough.
Woods holed out before Harrington played his chip to six feet. Under the circumstances, this putt became a searching test of character to which Europe’s triple-Major Champion proved he was equal as he rolled the ball home.
Peak
Woods appeared to be at the peak of his form as he drained a 13-foot birdie putt, which drew him level with Harrington at four, before holing from 27 feet for another to take the lead through five.
Tiger’s advantage would swell to two shots as a birdie at nine put him through the turn in a stunning five-under 30. Woods hit every green in regulation on his outward journey, against five by Harrington, who had to get up and down smartly out of a greenside bunker at nine to save par.
On Saturday evening, the Irishman’s uncanny ability to sink putts from every length and angle had left his playing companion Tim Clark frazzled … now the boot was on the other foot as Tiger hit him with a series of nuclear bombs.
To Harrington’s credit, he ploughed on relentlessly, somehow keeping his composure in the face of Tiger’s onslaught. Having seen the Dubliner come from two strokes down through nine to beat Sergio Garcia at Oakland Hills last August, we know never to write him off.
Yet there’s far more risk than reward for the brave at Firestone. Woods merely had to revert from the sublime to the meticulous and let Harrington take all the chances. So it was no surprise to see Tiger take a fairway wood of the tee at 11. However, he pulled his shot into the trees. Harrington was in like a whippet, sinking an eight-foot putt for his first birdie of the day despite the distracting shadows of a wind-blown oak tree dancing on his line.
Suddenly, the pressure was on Tiger and he nudged a six-iron into rough on the 180-yard 12th for his fist missed green. Woods left his chip six feet short but still made the putt to save par.
Thirteen appeared lucky for Tiger after his blocked tee shot deep into trees bounced back into the heart of the fairway. However, he’d fail to make par after his approach bounded through the back of the green and Harrington was level once again and Woods was rattling like a diamondback.
Shane Lowry rounded off his first visit to the World Championship arena with a touch of class reminiscent of his astonishing Irish Open victory in Baltray last May.
Lowry (22) hit a beautiful 180-yards seven-iron to inches at 18 for only his third birdie of the week, a splendid final flourish which belied his 77th place finish on 20-over (worth €25,400, the biggest cheque of his fledgling career).
Firestone offers a major challenge to seasoned veterans, so a young man playing just his seventh event as a pro was always going to find it tough. Yet after two opening rounds of 78, Lowry got his act together, especially on these fearsome greens, taking 12 strokes fewer over the final 36 holes which he played in four-over (72, 72).
Lowry hoped to stop off in New York with girlfriend Deirdre Molloy but, once home, he’ll seek out coach Neil Manchip “because my bad shot is going high and right and I don’t know where that’s coming from.”
PGA-bound Darren Clarke also birdied the last on his way to a 69, though a top-30 finish on level par was the least his high-quality golf deserved.
Graeme Dowell heads for this season’s fourth Major buoyed by “the really solid” way he played over the final 45 holes as a week’s work with swing coach Clive Tucker and short game guru Pete Coleman bedded-in nicely in time for this week’s challenge.
McDowell closed with a level-par 70 and a place inside the top-50, while Rory McIlroy’s finish in 68th on 10- over reflected his intention to use his first appearance at Firestone to hone his game for Hazeltine.
- Karl MacGinty
