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Harrington takes historic PGA victory

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington kisses the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 90th PGA Championship in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on Sunday. PHOTO: AP

Padraig Harrington hoisted the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday as he captured his third major championship and snapped Europe’s 78-year drought in the PGA Championship.

The two-time reigning Open champion fired a final round of four-under 66 for a three-under-277 total, winning by two strokes over Spain’s Sergio Garcia and American Ben Curtis.

He is the first European to win the British Open and PGA Championship in the same year and the first European to win consecutive major golf championships.

Harrington also joins Walter Hagen, Nick Price and Tiger Woods (2000 and 2006) as the only players to win both events in the same year.

Garcia shot a two-under 68 and finished in a tie for second with third round leader Curtis (71) at the Oakland Hills Country Club course.

Argentina’s Camilo Villegas (68) and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson (72) placed fourth, four strokes back of Harrington, who is also the first European golfer to win the PGA Championship since Tommy Armour in 1930.

American Steve Flesch shot a one-under 69 to finish alone in sixth.

Irishman Harrington, 36, brandished his iron game and flexed his putter to post back-to-back 66’s on the weekend.

He rolled in six birdies, including four on the back nine, in marathon Sunday in which both he and playing partner Garcia had to play 36 holes.

Third round play was called off late on Saturday after a series of thunderstorms rumbled through the Detroit-area course.

“When I started making putts I just stuck in there and it brought my game up. The more I got into it the better I played,” said Harrington, who is the second player after Tiger Woods to follow back-to-back Open titles with a PGA Championship.
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