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Harrington avoids trouble, wins third straight Dick's Open

golf23 June 2024 22:57| © Reuters
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Padraig Harrington © Gallo Images

Irishman Padraig Harrington carded 33 on the front nine, then held on to win his third consecutive Dick's Open by one shot on Sunday in Endicott, New York.

"Well, I thought when you win three of these you get a Dick's superstore," Harrington quipped about the event's title sponsor, a chain of sporting goods stores. "First franchise in Ireland."

Harrington shot 4-under-par 68 on Sunday and 15-under 201 for the three-round tournament at En-Joie Golf Club.

He recorded an eagle on the par-5 third hole and birdies on Nos. 6, 8, 9 and 15. Bogeys came at No 4 and No 10.

Canadian Mike Weir finished one stroke back at 14 under after his second consecutive round of 5-under 67. He birdied Nos. 3, 5, 8, 10, 11 and 17, with a lone bogey at the par-4 13th.

Ken Tanigawa, who shot 70 on Sunday and was the co-leader with Harrington after two rounds, tied for third at 13 under with Ken Duke (68) and Australian Mark Hensby (66).

Harrington had no wiggle room en route to his eighth career title on the PGA Tour Champions and second this year.

Ahead of Weir by one stroke, Harrington missed the green at the par-3 No 17 and faced a tough lie in the rough with the ball on a slight slope. His chip shot went about 8 feet beyond the hole but he saved par by making the putt, preserving his lead.

"... 17 was a little lapse in concentration," Harrington said. "I was just drawing it into the pin and I changed my target at the last moment and snatched that a bit. I haven't been chipping well, but when the pressure was on, I just got into it, got my focus right.

"The putt was tricky because it broke and then it straightened out. And, of course, it did what it was expected to do, but you're always worried that it's going to keep breaking because that's happened many a time.

"Those are the sort of breaks you get when you win tournaments. Those are the good things that happen. The week you don't win, that would have kept on breaking and missed on the right lip and bemoaned your luck. The important thing is I was in the right place to make all the – make the most of my luck."

Harrington said he was asked about going for a three-peat, and said "it's a lot easier to say it than do it."

He has been enjoying a good run, having been inducted a week earlier into the World Golf Hall of Fame. He described his practice rounds as "really, really poor" earlier in the week before improving every day during the tournament rounds.

"I suppose I'm good value for money, really," he said. "When I was coming down that stretch, you're not really sure what you're going to get. I'm either going to hit it stone dead or I'm gonna have to get it up and down out of some weird place. It's entertaining. I wish it wasn't as entertaining."

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