February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
He had climbed the leaderboard during Sunday’s final round after having begun tied for 12th place. After some extremely deft putting, Harrington found only three strokes separating him from Adam Scott, who was several holes behind.
Scott bogeyed 15, but saved par on both 16 and 17, and appeared headed to an easy victory. But he pulled his second shot on 18 into the water, necessitating a drop and penalty stroke. With Harrington warming up for a potential playoff, Scott chipped to within eight feet of the pin and knocked down his putt to maintain a one-stroke margin over the Dubliner.
Harrington, who played with Tiger Woods on Sunday, carded a 66. His round began inauspiciously when he alternated a birdie with three bogeys in the first five holes. After he “settled down mentally,” as he put it, he played bogey-free the rest of the way, recording six birdies and one eagle over the last 12 holes. He played the back nine in 30.
“It was one of those days,” Harrington said of his work on the greens. “Whenever I hit a good putt, it was tracking at the hole.”
Harrington finished 11 under par for the tournament at 277 (68-70-73-66). His earnings amounted to $864,000.
Darren Clarke came on late to move up 40 places on Sunday. He settled in with a group at 26th place, having finished at 287 (71-74-73-69). He earned $56,800.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Graeme McDowell tied for seventh place in the Madeira Island Open at Santo de Serra. He finished one under par at 287 (73-69-72-73), which was three strokes behind champion Christopher Hanell. Philip Walton, at 149 (77-72) missed the cut by three strokes.
GOLDEN BEAR TOUR
Sean Quinlivan grabbed a slice of fifth place in the Pepsi Challenge at Wellington Golf & Country Club in Wellington, Fla. He shot 213 (71-71-71) to finish three strokes behind medalist Jeff Barlow. Quinlivan earned $2,576.
EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR
Denis O?Sullivan tied for 43rd place in the DGM Barbados Open at Royal Westmoreland Golf Club. He was nine over par for 54 holes at 225 (76-75-74). Gavan Levenson won the title by shooting 204.