
Padraig Harrington emotional after opening tee shot honour at The 153rd Open Championship
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. pic.twitter.com/rRZokRqF8M
— 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."

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Irish Independent
6 hours ago
- Irish Independent
‘I'm thrilled, euphoric, that I've gotten it done' – Padraig Harrington makes history with Senior Open win at Sunningdale
As Kilfenora schoolteacher Keane (25) became the first Lahinch man to win the Pierse Motor Group South of Ireland title for 57 years in west Clare, Harrington (53) joined Gary Player, Bob Charles, Tom Watson and Darren Clarke in an exclusive club at Sunningdale's Old Course. Thirty years after he lost his second successive South of Ireland final at Lahinch, Harrington closed with a three-under 67 to win by three shots from Justin Leonard and Thomas Bjorn on 16 under par. 'Right now I'm just thrilled to have won the tournament and gone out there and played well,' said two-time Open champion Harrington, who claimed his third senior major and became just the third man after Player and Bernhard Langer to win the Senior Open and the US Senior Open in the same season. Conscious that his days of winning might be running short, he added: 'I think that will seep in. I know you were talking about how I won The Open, to win the Senior Open, there's only five players, so you want to be in that category. 'I think they are the sort of things that you realise over the next couple of days, the significance of it. I'm thrilled, euphoric, that I've gotten it done. 'There are some great names on the trophy. I was watching it coming out last night. I was looking up inside at the board that has all the winners. It's a deep sense of satisfaction. I'm kind of on a high of winning, but then there will be that deep sense of satisfaction knowing that you've done both. 'And especially you come to this stage, there's only a certain window. You know, you can win later on as a senior but the window, they say, sort of up to about 55, 56, so you want to get it done. 'And having had a couple of second places, I didn't want to leave it too long. It would start becoming a problem if you don't win it too soon, and I'm glad I got mine.' More than 500 miles away in Co Clare, Keane claimed an emotional win at Lahinch, making a five-footer for birdie on the 18th green ringed by hundreds of local supporters to beat Dundalk's Caolan Rafferty one up and become the first local Lahinch member since watching his boyhood coach JD Smyth in 1968 to capture the coveted 'South'. "I don't know what to say," Keane reflected after a day when he beat Edmondstown's Liam Abom 2&1 in the semi-finals and 2018 champion Rafferty played the first five holes in five-under en route to a 5&3 win over Grange's Jake Whelan. "Absolutely delighted. This has been my dream since ever I joined this golf club, and for it to come true, it's absolutely unbelievable. Just thrilled. Thrilled.' Two up at the turn, Keane was just one up after 11 holes but after winning the 12th to go two up again, he lost the 15th and 16th. Pegged back to all square, there was a chance the dream could evaporate but after making a nerveless eight-footer for par at the 17th to remain all flat, he drilled a 240 yard five-iron to 50 feet at the 18th and two putted for birdie and victory as Rafferty failed to get up and down from short of the green. He dropped his putter and put his hands over his eyes in disbelief as his father, Johnny, and mother, Mary, ran onto the 18th green to envelop him in an emotional embrace. Chaired from the green by his supporters, he recalled afterwards how he was out of the game for nearly three years with a back injury. But thanks to medical attention from two Lahinch Golf Club members, doctors Gerry O'Sullivan and Conor O'Brien, and seven months of strength and conditioning work with former champion Robbie Cannon, he came back stronger than ever in 2023 before going on to achieve his dream. "I have to give credit to those three men there for helping me come back from that injury," he said as mentor Smyth gave him some final words of advice before he headed out to make the sweetest of victory speeches. It was also a special day for England's Lottie Woad, who closed with a four-under 68 to win the ISPS HANDA Scottish Women's Open and her first LPGA Tour title on her professional debut. 'Yeah, I think it's quite hard to do that, but very special to win in my first event,' said Woad, who romped to a six-shot win in the KPMG Women's Irish Open as an amateur last month. She won by three shots on 21 under from Korea's Hyo Joo Kim while Leona Maguire shot 71 to tie for 16th in six under heading into this week's AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl.

The Journal
6 hours ago
- The Journal
Padraig Harrington wins Senior Open
LAST UPDATE | 34 mins ago The 42 PADRAIG HARRINGTON HAS won the Senior Open by three stokes after a final day round of 67 at Sunningdale Old Course in Berkshire. The 53-year-old won the US Senior Open for the second time last month and has been a runner-up at the Senior Open in 2022 and 2023. Harrington finished on 16-under overall this weekend, three clear of Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and the American Justin Leonard on 13-under. Advertisement The Dubliner's 67 today followed rounds of 65 yesterday, 65 on Friday and 67 on Thursday. Final leaderboard More to follow . . . Written by The 42 and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here .


Irish Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Padraig Harrington prize money after winning second Major in a month
Padraig Harrington was cool as ice, holding his rivals at bay to win the Senior Open at Sunningdale today. It was the Dubliner's second major success on the senior's tour this year, following his victory in the US Senior Open last month. Harrington took a two-stroke lead into the final round and kept Thomas Bjorn and Justin Leanard at arm's length, winning by three shots from the pair. Victory was worth €381,200 to the 53-year-old who shot a final round 67 to finish on 16 under par, three shots clear of great Dane Bjorn and American rival Leonard. Harrington's solid round included a superb eagle three at the first hole and three more birdies - the last of which left him three shots ahead with four to play. Harrington bogeyed the 17th, but so too did Leonard while Bjorn couldn't make inroads either having dropped a shot at the 16th. More to follow ….. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.