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RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Padraig Harrington emotional after opening tee shot honour at The 153rd Open Championship
Two-time Open champion Padraig Harrington admits he was as emotional as he has ever been on a golf course hitting the first tee shot of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush. The 53-year-old Dubliner, who won back-to-back Claret Jugs in 2007 and 2008, was given the honour of getting the tournament under way at 6.35am and he received a huge welcome. He responded by holing an 18-foot birdie at the first but it was downhill from there as he struggled on the greens and eventually signed for a four-over 75 after losing a ball with a wayward drive on the 10th. "I got a little emotional when I was clapped on, and then I calmed down, and I was kind of fine when I was hitting it," he said. The opening tee shot of The 153rd Open. — The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025 "I wouldn't say I get too emotional, not like that, no. It was definitely it felt like they were there for me, giving me a clap. "I expected the nerves; I didn't expect that so I did have to adjust myself for that. "Hitting that second three-iron into 18 feet and holing the putt was a serious buzz. "I don't feel like there's anything wrong with my putting (but) I had a horrible day on the greens. "It might have been a little bit of the fact that I was hyped up for the first tee box. Who knows? "I certainly felt like I played better, could have played better, should have played better, scored better."
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Padraig Harrington tears up in Portrush after one of his greatest Open moments
Padraig Harrington rarely gets teary going to work but admits that the emotion he felt hitting the first tee shot at Royal Portrush was up there with his greatest Open experiences. That's saying something given that Harrington lifted the Claret Jug back to back in 2007 and '08 in Carnoustie and then at Royal Birkdale. The 4am wake-up call was worth it for a magical quarter of an hour for the 53-year-old as he got the 153rd Open, from his tee-off at 6.35 - a glorious three-iron down the middle of the fairway - to sinking the first birdie of the championship on the first green to a massive roar from the galleries. "I wouldn't say I get too emotional, not like that, no," he said. "It felt like they were there for me, giving me a clap, yeah. I expected the nerves, I didn't expect that. So I did have to adjust myself for that. "It was very special, I've got to say. It's a great honour to do it. I really hate the idea of being ceremonial, but I was prepared to take that to do it because it was here. I'm glad I did. Padraig Harrington acknowledges the crowd at the first tee during day one of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club (Image:) "You certainly wouldn't start your career off expecting anything like that. It was out of the blue when I was asked this year, but it's not out of the blue if you were thinking about it. "There was plenty of second thoughts, thinking 'why did I say yes', because of the tee shot. There's got to be easier ones. It was a lot easier yesterday downwind." That first tee shot at Portrush is arguably the most daunting of any course on the Open rota and was made famous by Rory McIlroy hitting out of bounds in his first round in 2019. Harrington hit 30 to 40 irons in his warm-up to get the shot routine right then, as is usual for him, the Dubliner teed up a good three minutes before he was announced to the crowds and he stepped up to hit the shot. "I hyped up the tee shot as much as I could so when I got there today, it wasn't too bad," he said. "I was decently comfortable when I got on the tee. Obviously didn't try for too much, hit a nice smooth 3-iron down there, held the pose a little bit. I got a little emotional when I was clapped on, and then I calmed down, and I was kind of fine when I was hitting it." He smiled: "I'm glad I did it now. Maybe I might get to do it again." His son, Paddy, was present to represent the family and Harrington felt the love from the crowd. "They're fantastic, they really are," he said. "They're just fabulous, and lots of kids. Padraig Harrington tees off on the first hole (Image:) "There's a great atmosphere out there and, to be honest, lots of people I know. Any time you look up, you see a face (you know). Most of the time Ronan (Flood, his caddie) says, 'that's so-and-so'. That's the beauty of playing at home here. It's been great. "I came off the range about 20 minutes before my tee time, and I could see the grandstand, and it was empty. I was like, 'I thought this was going to be full'. "As I came up and over, I could see people queueing for a long line to get into it. They hadn't let anybody in. By the time we got there, the grandstand was full, the first fairway was full, the first green was full. "Hitting that second 3-iron into 15, 18 feet, holing the putt was a serious buzz. It was very exciting, and those crowds were spectacular at that hour of the morning. Padraig Harrington of Ireland reacts on the first green after a birdie during day one of The 153rd Open Championship (Image:) "I think it was a nice partnership, myself and Tom (McKibbin) - obviously Tom bringing in the locals as well. It was a good group to start off the day." After the adrenaline kick of that start came the almost inevitable downer. He struggled on the greens - a trio of three-putts in his first even holes saw him drift over par and card a four-over par 75 that leaves him battling to make the cut on Friday afternoon. "It just kills you when you're always thinking about your pace as you're standing over the ball, you're always questioning your lines," said Harrington. "Yeah, it was a tough day on the greens, and it just ate into my game. Might have been a little bit of the fact that I was hyped up for the 1st tee box, who knows? Certainly felt like I played better, could have played better, should have played better, scored better. "I don't feel like there's anything wrong with my putting, and I had a horrible day on the greens. It's one of those things that's the nature of the game, links golf. I'd love to be a bit better, but it wasn't for a lack of trying." Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Padraig Harrington: 'I expected the nerves, I didn't expect the emotion'
Padraig Harrington had prepared diligently for the honour of playing the first shot at the 153rd Open. The two-time champion golfer of the year shaved the night before to save himself five minutes after an alarm that he set for 4am. He prepared for the ceremonial tee shot by hitting the planned 3-iron almost three dozen times on the range. What he wasn't ready for was the well of emotion as he approached that first tee, not least because he had spotted an empty grandstand coming off the range, but one that was quickly filled as those queuing patiently were ushered in. 'I expected the nerves, I didn't expect that [emotion]. So I did have to adjust myself for that.' It was, said the 53-year-old, special. His first swing left him smack bang in the middle of the fairway and he followed it up with a second 3-iron to 15 feet and a birdie putt that he made and gave him a "serious buzz". Things soured after that, the Dubliner carding a four-over 75 that included a double bogey on 10 when he lost his ball, much to his surprise after a shot that he thought had found some minor rough, off the tee. 'Through the start maybe there was a little bit of hype in it, the three-putting 3 and 4. I just struggled. Three three-putts in the first seven holes, it just kills you when you're always thinking about your pace as you're standing over the ball. 'You're always questioning your lines. 'Yeah, it was a tough day on the greens, and it just ate into my game. Might have been a little bit of the fact that I was hyped up for the 1st tee box. Who knows? Certainly felt like I played better, could have played better, should have played better, scored better. 'I don't feel like there's anything wrong with my putting, and I had a horrible day on the greens. It's one of those things. That's the nature of the game, links golf. I'd love to be… yeah, I'd love to be a bit better, but it wasn't for a lack of trying.' Tom McKibbin, one of his two playing partners for the morning, couldn't beat the par 71 either. A bogey at the last consigned the Ulsterman to a one-over round that included his own double bogey, his one coming at the 11th. The 22-year-old was two-over after three and then joint leader, at two-under, at one point, but he described his round as a mix of some good and bad after struggling on the wind off the left through most of the round. Like Harrington, who wasn't thrilled to be reminded of Rory McIlroy's travails at the first tee on opening day at Royal Portrush in 2019, McKibbin had spent plenty of time thinking about that first shot before his alarm call at 3.30am. 'I think Rory's made that tee shot a lot scarier,' he joked. 'That's all I could probably think about for the last three days. I wouldn't say I was too nervous. I just didn't really want to hit that bad of a shot. Yeah, I was very happy to get it sort of underway. 'Yeah, a little bit nervous and a little bit scared of hitting that shot.'
