Pádraig Harrington gave an indication that he will be a serial winner on the PGA Tour Champions for the next fifteen years after a record-equalling win at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
The Dubliner ended his first season on the Champions Tour with his name etched alongside Jack Nicklaus after a seven-shot victory helped him match the scoring record which had stood since the 1990 Kaulig Companies Championship.
An eight-foot birdie putt was all that stood between him and smashing the Golden Bear’s Champions Tour record but having hammered it through the break he grazed the right edge and had to settle for a share of the record – something he was delighted about.
“I suppose if you’re going to equal a record having your name alongside an 18-time major champion isn’t a bad way to do it.
“I tied Jack Nicklaus’ record, I’m glad I didn’t beat it actually so that’s some achievement to have for the rest of my life,” beamed Harrington after claiming his fourth Champions Tour victory of the season on 27-under-par.
The three-time major champion has been bullish about his chances of winning on the PGA Tour again after finding a competitive sharpness from regularly contending on the seniors circuit and that was reflected in his final round performance.
Teeing off with a five-shot lead Harrington admitted his younger self might have left the door ajar for the chasing pack and won it the hard way but he was pleased with how ‘boring’ he made the final day as he disappeared over the horizon.
“I have a friend who often says about golfers but I know he’s kind of saying it about me, some golfers have to win twice, to win a tournament twice, and I didn’t have to do that today.
“I got out there with a lead and I never gave anybody else another chance at the tournament, so that brings a lot of confidence I can take a lead and just, you know, run away with it rather than, as I said, in past years I would have let somebody back into the event. I probably would have went on to win, but I would have made it more exciting for the crowd. Today I was pretty boring.”
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