Amazingly, when Pádraig Harrington makes a double bogey in the final round of a tournament, more often than not he wins.
That proved the case on Sunday night when a seemingly fatal double bogey on the 16th at the Hoag Classic was followed by back-to-back closing birdies as Harrington once again snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and pipped Thongchai Jaidee to the title by a shot.
Sunday was not the first time Harrington has carded a big number on his way to victory.
The three-time major champion has seven final round double bogeys or worse in his five victories on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour – level with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson for the most final round double bogeys and wins across both tours since 1983.
Ten players across the PGA Tour and Champions Tour have won with multiple doubles in the final round and Harrington is the only player to do this twice, last week and the 2015 Cognizant Classic.
Harrington carded double bogeys on the par-3 4th and par-4 16th on Sunday while he also made double on the par-3 4th hole at Norwood hills Country Club at the 2022 Ascension Charity Classic.
That covers the Dubliner’s Champions Tour career to date but he has also made double en route to some of his most famous wins.
Harrington doubled the par-4 3rd hole at Westchester CC on his way to winning the FedEx St Jude Classic in 2005 while he also carded two double bogeys in the final round of the 2015 Cognizant Classic, formerly known as the Honda Classic, which remains his most recent PGA Tour win.
Harrington made double at the 6th and 17th holes at PGA National before finally seeing off Daniel Berger in the final round which was pushed back to a Monday.
Most famously, Harrington looked like he had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory only to rescue the situation with a miraculous double bogey on the 72nd hole of the 2007 Open Championship.
With a one shot lead, Harrington stood on the 18th tee and carved his driver right, it hopped and skipped along the bridge before disappearing agonisingly into the Barry Burn.
He drops, and hits this third short of the green and into the burn once again, evoking memories of Jean Van de Velde in 1999.
Feeling like he has lost the Open, ready to throw in the towel, Harrington gathers himself and zips a 48-yard chip to a couple of feet and holes out for a remarkable six.
And the rest, they say, is history.
Harrington is back in action again this week as the lone Irishman in the Texas Children’s Houston Open on the PGA Tour.
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