Padraig Harrington 2008 Open Championship Royal Birkdale
Two-time Open champion and 2008 PGA Championship winner
Pádraig Peter Harrington (born 31 August 1971) is an Irish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour, PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008. He spent over 300 weeks in the top-10 of the world rankings, and reached a career-high ranking of the third spot in July 2008. Harrington was a member of six consecutive Ryder Cup teams between 1999 and 2010. In 2024, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Quick Facts
- Tournament
- 2008 Open Championship
- Venue
- Royal Birkdale, Southport, England
- Winner
- Padraig Harrington (Ireland)
- Margin of victory
- 1 stroke
- Runner-up
- Ernie Els (South Africa)
- Significance
- 2nd consecutive Open Championship; part of a historic three-peat (2007–2009)
- Conditions
- Notoriously windy
- overcast
- links-play conditions
Lore & Background
Harrington successfully defended his Open title at Royal Birkdale in 2008, overcoming a 2-shot deficit to Greg Norman with a final round 69. He shot a four-under-par 32 on the back nine, which enabled him to pull away from Norman and Ian Poulter. His eagle on the par-5 17th all but sealed the tournament. He is the first European golfer since James Braid in 1906 to retain the Claret Jug. The win moved him from fourteenth to third in the world rankings, behind only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.
Reader's Guide
Harrington's 2008 Open Championship victory at Royal Birkdale was his second consecutive Open win. He did not win the 2008 US Open (won by Tiger Woods) nor the 2009 Open Championship (won by Stewart Cink). His third major came three weeks after the 2008 Open, when he won the 2008 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.
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