Pádraig Harrington shines bright at Sunningdale to win ISPA Handa Senior Open, his third senior major title

RTÉ News​

2 days ago

Pádraig Harrington secured senior major number three and a first Senior Open title after a strong final round of 67 helped him to a three-shot win at Sunningdale in Berkshire.
Harrington finished with an impressive final score of 16 under, three shots clear of playing partner Justin Leonard, and fellow European Thomas Bjørn at 13 under.
The 53-year-old also reigned victorious at the US Senior Open back in June and brings his winning tally on the Champions Tour to 11.
With the win, Pádraig Harrington becomes the fifth player to add the Senior Open to an Open Championship, after Darren Clarke, Tom Watson, Gary Player and Bob Charles. He's also the third Irish winner of the event, following on from Clarke and Christy O'Connor Jnr.
Harrington entered Sunday's action with a two-shot advantage at the top and extended it quickly. The two-time Open champion hit a stunning approach shot into the first green to set up an eagle start to his round.
. @padraig_h extends his lead to four strokes heading into the back nine 📈 #SeniorOpen pic.twitter.com/iMPluNktGV
— Legends Tour (@euLegendsTour) July 27, 2025
The Dubliner would let birdie opportunities slide by on the second, third and fourth holes but his length off the tee and supreme ball striking exhibition made him hard to hunt down.
A birdie on six was shortly followed with a frustrating bogey at the par three 8th, but this was somewhat alleviated by playing partner Justin Leonard also dropping a shot.
The two-time senior's major winner responded with a routine two-putt birdie on the drivable par four ninth, matched again by Leonard.
The American, who impressively made the cut at Royal Portrush last week, would reduce the deficit to three with a birdie on 11, later joined by former Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjørn; but Harrington remained the man to catch.
Bjørn briefly cut the gap to two with his fourth birdie of the round on the par five 14th, which Harrington responded to in style with a tap-in birdie of his own, after an exquisite chip set up a tap-in for four.
Some @padraig_h magic on the 14th hole 🪄 #SeniorOpen
pic.twitter.com/zQjlE27ngb
— Legends Tour (@euLegendsTour) July 27, 2025
From there, it never really looked beyond doubt. Errant approach shots into the penultimate seventeenth lead to bogeys for both Harrington and Leonard, maintaining the Dubliner's three-shot cushion with one hole to play.
There was to be no stress up the last as Harrington followed a booming drive with a pin high approach shot, setting up a closing par to secure the win, void of any late dramatics.
Scott Hend, Ernie Els and Cameron Percy all made impressive final day charges to finish inside the top five while Darren Clarke, who won this event back in 2022, finished on two-over-par and in a tie for 52nd place.