Spectator Sport | 16 August 2008

You can’t help feeling for Sergio Garcia. At Carnoustie last year, he lipped out on the last hole to throw away an Open title which had seemed his on the last day. And who was waiting for him at the play-off? Why Padraig Harrington of course. And when Sergio lined up his second shot on the fiercely hazardous 16th at Oakland Hills, the US PGA title was again his for the taking. He needed to par the last three and the gutsy Spaniard’s first Major was in the bag. He opted for an insanely ambitious drive to the right of the flag and the ball bounced back into the water. Title gone. And who was waiting to pick up the pieces. Padraig Harrington, natch.

Now the most successful European golfer of the century, and currently the most successful big-ticket golfer in the world with three of the last six Majors, is our very own Padraig Harrington (I’m using ‘our very own’ quite loosely there of course).