Padraig Harrington Wins Second US Senior Open After Four-Day Battle With Stewart Cink

Padraig Harrington Wins Second US Senior Open After Four-Day Battle With Stewart Cink image

Padraig Harrington faced a classic risk-reward decision walking down the 18th fairway Sunday at the Broadmoor. Play it safe and trust his putting on the notoriously tricky greens? Or attack the pin and take the putter out of the equation?

He chose aggression, stuck his approach to 8 feet, and secured a one-shot victory over Stewart Cink to claim his second U.S. Senior Open championship.

“Sometimes playing it safe is not the right option,” Harrington said, recalling advice from Hale Irwin that when in doubt, play the shot you’d choose if trailing by a stroke.

Harrington shot a final-round 67 to finish at 11-under 209, edging Cink’s 68 after they’d played together for all four rounds in what felt more like match play than stroke play.

After watching Harrington’s bold approach, Cink needed perfection from 30 yards closer in the fairway. But his shot landed on a ridge and spun backward, settling 35 feet from the hole. His desperate birdie attempt missed right, leaving both players with tap-ins to finish.

There was a moment of awkward laughter as Harrington marked his 3-inch putt so Cink could finish first, allowing the Irishman the winner’s privilege of being last to hole out.

“It kind of validates your career,” said Harrington, whose major championships came at the 2007 and 2008 British Opens and 2008 PGA Championship. “It validates the past in a lot of ways. You’re reliving the past glories, hitting shots, waving at the crowds. People are coming out because they know you from the past.”

For the 52-year-old Cink, whose lone major came at the 2009 British Open, this loss stung. The final round featured five lead changes and three ties in a basketball-like back-and-forth. Cink had golden opportunities to draw even on both 16 and 17 with putts inside 6 feet, but both narrowly missed.

“It’s frustrating because I hit really good iron shots there to put myself in position to get up there and force Harrington to make a little bit more of a heroic finish than just pars,” Cink said. “But it wasn’t to be. That’s Broadmoor for you. I wish I could have those two putts over.”

Cink hit more greens in regulation than anyone else in the field (64), but it was putting that made the difference. He needed two more putts than Harrington on Sunday—exactly the margin of defeat.

Harrington closed with seven consecutive pars to add this title to his 2022 U.S. Senior Open victory.

Miguel Angel Jimenez briefly inserted himself into the drama with a tournament-best 64 that included eight birdies after an opening bogey. He pulled within one shot of the lead before yanking his tee shot on 18, forcing a punch-out and resulting in a bogey that left him alone in third, two shots back.

“We are human,” said Jimenez, who was coming off a senior major victory at last week’s Kaulig Companies Championship. “Just made a couple of mistakes.”

Mark Hensby, the third player in the final group who shared the 54-hole lead, couldn’t find the magic that produced 19 birdies over the first three days. On his 54th birthday, he managed just two birdies in a 73 that dropped him into a tie for fourth at 5-under with Thomas Bjorn.

Harrington’s clutch approach on 18 was the culmination of a pivotal weekend. The day before, he’d chipped in for birdie from about 20 yards while Cink missed his birdie attempt, creating the tie that put them together in Sunday’s final group.

“It did change things, there’s no doubt about it,” Harrington said. “I got into the last group and I slept soundly last night. I was in a nice place going to bed last night.”

Sunday night’s sleep figured to be even better.

Robert Jenkovich avatar
Robert Jenkovich
4 months ago