Harrington rallies, wins Hoag Classic by a shot
NEWPORT BEACH >> World Golf Hall of Famer Padraig Harrington celebrated St. Paddy's Day one week late this year.
On a chilly, extremely windy day at Newport Beach Country Club, Harrington lost the lead twice, made two double-bogeys and still emerged victorious at the Hoag Classic by making clutch birdies on the final two holes to win his seventh PGA Tour Champions title by one shot.
Tied with first-round leader Thongchai Jaidee going to the 18th tee, Harrington badly sliced his tee shot so far right of the fairway that it was outside the tree line, smashed a 5-wood from 266 yards into the front left bunker, then got up down for the clinching birdie by rolling in an 8-footer that hit left edge of the cup, spun to the back of the hole and dropped in.
“I like to make things dramatic and exciting,” the 52-year-old Irishman from Dublin said with a laugh. “I never do anything easy.”
That was an understatement on a day when all three international players in the final group — Harrington, Thailand's Jaidee and Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, a United Nations grouping of sorts — had at least a share of the lead at various times.
Harrington shot 63-6769 to finish at 14-underpar 199, a shot ahead of Jaidee (13-under after a 69 Sunday) and two ahead clear of Jimenez (12-under after a 68). Paul Goydos of Coto de Caza was the top local pro, finishing tied for ninth at 7-under.
With a reputation for playing well in adverse weather conditions, one he earned by winning backto-back British Opens during his PGA Tour glory years, Harrington distinguished himself again in steady 20 mph winds that occasionally gusted to 30. The tops of the towering palm trees were whipping all day, as were the flags on the greens.
“It was very difficult today,” Harrington said. “A lot of crosswinds, and it was moving because it wasn't warm, so the ball moves a lot more when it's cold air. It was whipping across. It was very awkward.”
Harrington began the final round with a oneshot lead, which he maintained until No. 4, a 145yard par-3 where his tee shot ballooned off his clubface and splashed in the pond fronting the green, leading to a double-bogey that enabled Jaidee to regain the lead.
That was the first of three two-shot swings in the final round.
On the next hole, the challenging par-4 5th playing into the teeth of the wind, Jaidee increased his lead to two shots by holing a 30-yard chip shot for an unlikely birdie. But that lead lasted only until the short but tricky 394yard par-4 7th, where Harrington and Jimenez birdied and Jaidee bogeyed. And when Jimenez birdied No. 10, there was a threeway tie at the top at 12-under. That was the second two-shot swing in the final group.
Harrington regained the lead when Jaidee bogeyed No. 11 and increased it to two shots with a birdie on No. 12. But Jimenez got back in the title picture by making an eagle on No. 15, where Jaidee and Harrington both birdied.
It was clear by then that Sunday's champion would come from the final threesome.
With a one-shot lead going into the par-4 16th, Harrington unintentionally manufactured more drama by hooking his tee shot left toward the out-ofbounds fence. The tee shot was so crooked, he hit a provisional tee shot.
Though he found his ball near some bushes, he had to punch out to the fairway, hit his third shot from 175 yards into a greenside bunker and made another double-bogey. That was the third two-shot swing, with Jaidee and Jimenez now tied for the lead and Harrington one behind going to the par-3, 162-yard 17th.