Harrington Makes Long-Awaited Return to Winner's Circle


After a six-and-a-half-year victory drought, Padraig Harrington finally returned to the winner's circle. The 43-year-old Irishman survived a difficult golf course, long days due to sustained suspensions of play because of bad weather, and up-and-coming, 21-year-old rookie Daniel Berger to win the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Weather delays on Friday and Saturday - with the latter virtually washed out because of 5 inches of rain that deluged the Champion Course at PGA National - forced a Monday finish at the $6.1 million PGA Tour event.

After a bogey and double-bogey through seven holes of his final round that he completed on Sunday, Harrington reeled off four birdies on Nos. 11-14 to rise into the lead. But the three-time major champion doubled the par-3 17th. Needing a birdie on the par-5 last to tie Berger at 6-under 274, the Dubliner did just that, posting an even-par 70 to match the Florida State Seminole, who fired a 6-under 64.

Both players parred the first extra hole, the 18th, before moving to the 17th. After Berger, who carded a bogey and seven birdies for his 64 - including the 17th - in regulation, hit his drive into the water hazard, Harrington safely found the putting surface and two-putted for the winning par as Berger doubled the hole.

The victory for Harrington was his first in the U.S. since the 2008 PGA Championship, and his second Honda Classic title. His maiden victory in the U.S. at the 2005 Honda Classic also came in a playoff, when he vanquished Vijay Singh and Joe Ogilvie.

"I think I found that mental edge I've been lacking the last couple of years," said Harrington, a former No. 3 who entered this week at 297th in the world (ironically, the same ranking as last week's winner at the Northern Trust Open, James Hahn).

"The one good thing for me is that when I get in contention I can hit the shots," Harrington noted. "The problem for me has been when I've started the week, middle-of-the-road shots, I'm not able to hit them. When I've got tough shots I can hit them."

As for his gradual descent in the World Golf Ranking, Harrington - a six-time winner in the States and 14-time winner in Europe - quipped, "Yeah, there have been some changes. You go from the penthouse down to . . . still pretty nice hotels! There's no doubt on your way back down it's a lot different.

"Hopefully this isn't an isolated win," said Harrington, who earned $1.098 million, 500 FedEx Cup points, and a two-year Tour exemption. "I hope not, I really do believe in myself. As I said, I think I've found that mental edge I've been lacking in recent years. Hopefully, I'll be able to stick with that going forward and be consistently contending."

Berger was simply excited to be a factor at the end. "I think it was a great learning experience," said the native of Plantation, Fla. In only 11 starts in his rookie campaign, Berger has three top-10s and earnings of $1,188,405.

Monday was a horse race as England's Ian Poulter and Paul Casey began play sharing the lead at 7-under; Poulter had finished seven holes on his final round while Casey made it through nine before darkness suspended play. After carding four birdies on his final front nine Sunday, Casey could only manage two bogeys coming home Monday to end up with a 68 and a stroke out of the playoff.

Also at 5-under was Scotland's Russell Knox (68) and Poulter, who put five balls into Champion's water hazards en route to a closing 74. Poulter doubled the 11th and tripled the 14th before birdies on the last two holes.

The 39-year-old Poulter admitted to reporters that his finish Monday left him "bitterly disappointed." "It's a shame to hand the tournament away. I've handed one away this week and it's gonna hurt."

Casey was also displeased with his performance but was ready to move on. "I'm disappointed not to at least make one birdie out there this morning," the 37-year-old said. "But I gave it my best shot and I'm really happy with the way I played this week."

Alone in sixth at 276 was Welshman Jamie Donaldson (66), while tied for seventh at 277 were Americans Jim Herman (69) and Patrick Reed (73) and England's Luke Donald (67).

Reed was among the players who briefly held the lead Monday. But the 24-year-old Texan's try for his fifth Tour win was derailed when he doubled the par-3 15th and followed that with bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17.

But like Casey, Reed - who enters the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral that starts Thursday as the defending champion - left PGA National with a positive mindset. "Any time you feel like you didn't have your 'A Game' and struggling a little bit and be able to finish inside the top 10 is always good," he said.

Phil Mickelson trailed the overnight leaders by only three strokes. But the 44-year-old, five-time major winner closed with a 73 to drop into a tie for 17th at even-par 280.

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