Irish Echo Sport

Padraig Harrington has defended his British Open title. The 36-year-old Dubliner produced a stunning back nine at Royal Birkdale to take his second major by four shots from England’s Ian Poulter.

A neat birdie on the 15th and a remarkable eagle on the par five 17th hole gave the father-of-two a four-shot cushion and allowed him to soak up the very warm reception by the crowd along the last hole with playing partner, Australian Greg Norman.

Harrington’s win, which added £750,000 to his bank balance, also secures his Ryder Cup spot for September. The Irishman’s win is historic for a number of reasons. He is the first Irish player ever to win two majors.

He is also the first European to win back-to-back British Opens in over 100 years. He joins an exclusive list of 74 golfers in history to have won more than one major.

The victory also lifts Harrington to a career high of three on the world rankings behind Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

Harrington trailed Norman by two shots at the start of the day but was one ahead after just three holes as the 53-year-old Australian - looking to become the oldest ever major winner by five years - began with a hat-trick of bogeys. Another bogey on the sixth meant Harrington was two clear, but the Ryder Cup star then stumbled with three straight bogeys of his own to fall one behind his playing partner at the turn. As Norman continued to struggle it was Poulter who emerged as Harrington’s biggest rival, birdies at the ninth and 11th taking him within a shot of the lead. The 32-year-old crucially missed from four feet for another birdie on the 13th however and, after a birdie putt on the 16th dropped in on its last roll, three-putted the par-five 17th for par. As that happened Harrington holed from 18ft for a birdie on the 13th to take the outright lead again, a lead he was never to lose.

Harrington can now set his sights on the USPGA in mid August at Oakland Hills in Michigan.

The course holds wonderful memories for the Irishman who was part of the European Ryder Cup team, which smashed the Americans there in 2004.

Here’s a bit of fun between Padraig Harrington and Northern Ireland’s David Feherty from last year.