Harrington pleased with performance
Padraig Harrington has yet another runners-up finish to his name – amazingly, the 18th of his professional career.
But second did not mean sickened after a Players Championship claimed in breath-taking fashion by American Davis Love in Florida last night.
Love’s closing 64 – one outside the Sawgrass course record and the lowest round of the week – was hailed as one of the greatest performances ever to win as big a title as this, coming as it did in a blustery wind Tiger Woods called “brutal.”
Harrington, out in front after each of the first three rounds, shared second place with 49-year-old Jay Haas six strokes back.
“I’ve had a fair few seconds and often you feel bitter about something, but not this one,” said the Irishman. “A 64 is a tremendous score and Davis totally deserves to win.
“I’m not going to beat myself up about this – I’m even looking forward to seeing his round some time on television.
“There was no legislating for what he did. You would not have thought it possible. He just kept going, kept pouring it on and got further and further away. I don’t feel I lost it.”
Love’s playing partner and close friend Fred Couples did get to see it, of course, and described it as the finest round he had ever witnessed.
“It was a treat to see someone I’ve known for 20 years play like that,” said Couples, co-owner of the course record with Greg Norman. “I don’t think anybody thought anyone would shoot 64, but he was just so solid.”
Love, who won by four in 1992 from a group that included Nick Faldo, was not about to disagree with how others viewed it.
“That’s probably the round of my life – it was incredible,” said the 38-year-old. “I don’t think I’ve done a better job for 18 holes.
“That’s as nervous as I’ve ever been and there was a lot of excitement and anxiousness out there. It was one of the biggest challenges I’ve had and I am thrilled as I can be to play like I did.”
Two behind Harrington and Haas teeing off, Love had five successive birdies around the turn to take control and then killed the chasing pack off with a dramatic eagle on the long 16th.
For once not finding the fairway but the trees instead, the 1997 US PGA champion was lucky to have a clear route to the green and capitalised with a brilliant 197-yard six-iron off the pine needles to 10 feet.
Meanwhile Darren Clarke hit water at the long ninth, but sixth place continued the Irishman's promising opening to the year and he, like Harrington, will be eagerly anticipating next week’s Masters.
Harrington now plays in the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta. Clarke has a week at home.
