PGA Championship winner Padraig Harrington admits to surprise at Sergio Garcia finding water on 16
Add commentsBLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. - As well as Padraig Harrington played in the final two rounds of the PGA Championship (66-66, including 3-under on his final back nine), it’s hard to argue that Sergio Garcia blew this major more than Harrington won it. Unless, perhaps, you listen to Padraig Harrington.
“On 16, I was surprised,” Harrington said moments ago, the Wanamaker Tropy resting in front of him. “(Sergio) was in control there.”
Then, Sergio sent his approach into the water.
“When I was on the 17 tee, I felt like I was going to win the PGA Championship,” Harrington said. “On the 16th tee, I didn’t feel that way.”
Poor Sergio. He came so close to being a great sport about the whole crushing runner-up thing and then just couldn’t help bitterly firing at the media at the very end long after he’d been off 18. He shot 68-69 in the final two rounds of a major himself, with 35 of those holes today, and still happened to end up losing to the only golfer in the field honest enough to admit he felt Garcia choked on 16.
For a full column on Sergio almost giving himself better, almost turning himself into one of those losers that you cannot help but feel for even more than the winner, and a full story on when Harrington realized he could be the second best golfer in the world, when things like winning two straight and three of the last six majors, became something he could imagine (it happened well before the 07 British), tune in to the front of WorldGolf.com this morning.
| « Tiger Woods should concede Player of the Year to Padraig Harrington | Wackiest question of PGA Championship week: What do you bench press, Sergio Garcia? » |
Comment feed for this post
Brandon Tucker:
Katharine Dyson:
The Accidental Golfer:
Mark Nessmith:
I think 'unbelievably good Harrington' is an exaggeration. Despite a good finish, there were no real heroics in this championship, and in general it was quite a forgettable major.
Yes, I know Padraig is the hottest player in golf right now, and his back-to-back major victories are to be commended, but they were after all won without Tiger in the field.
To me, the player of the year is still Tiger. Tiger won four out of six starts, and his win at the U.S. Open is win of the season without question.
I disagree with you. I'm a Tiger fan, but....POY is Paddy H. You say there were no heroics??? I thought Harrington, once again played a marvelous back 9--32!! And on 16, 17 and 18, his flat stick was steady. He nailed those key putts. I thoroughly enjoyed his play.