Last year Padraig Harrington won the British Open by default - he fell over the line ahead of the collapsed Garcia. When tested he cracked under the pressure but was redeemed - luckily. This year he won it in style - as all around him fell apart: Norman, Choi, Wakefield etc. It was left to Rod Stewart clone Ian Poulter to set him a challenge. Having started cautiously (irons from the tee), Harrington faltered at the turn, but from the 10th he didn't make a false move and attacked the course like a hero. His shot at the 17th typified this courage. He could have laid up for a safe par but instead went for the hole with a five wood - curving the ball over the gorse and landing it four feet from the flag. This shot will be played on TV the day he dies. Now if only he could control that bloody child of his as well as he does his five woods (we had the little blighter running amok on the green after he holed out).
Nice speech at the end as well - gracious to Norman and Poulter - but unfair to plumbers: he recounted an incident from an earlier round where he was walking off the green after taking a double-bogey and a spectator tapped him on the shoulder and said "Don't worry about it Padraig, I've to go back plumbing on Monday".
