Rumford the toast of Baltray
Rumford, from Perth, Australia, recounted after the triumph that earned him €316,660 and numerous perks how he had stayed in a house near the course with two other players and a couple of caddies.
"The shower was pretty crappy, so I nipped over to the clubhouse in the morning and had another in the evening before going back," he said with the kind of happy smile that only a man who has achieved a life-changing experience can produce.
Rumford could afford to drop a shot at the par five18th and still complete his final round in five under par 67 for a 14 under par total of 274. In doing so, he broke the hearts of a great final day audience that numbered 25,342 bringing the total for the week to 72,666. They had come in the hope of watching Paul McGinley, who began the day four off the pace, and Pádraig Harrington, one stroke further back, bring to an end the 22-year drought since an Irishman last captured the title.
Whereas McGinley's game was solid and consistent - he shot 16 pars and 2 birdies - it lacked momentum. In contrast, Harrington got off to the proverbial flyer with birdies at each of the opening three holes and when he picked up another shot at the long 6th, he was only one off the pace. However, the short 7th playing into the stiffish wind proved his undoing. His five iron tee shot was slightly pulled, leaving him with a tricky chip which he knocked to four feet but he missed the putt.
All the time, Rumford was playing with the composure of a man who can't have much liked the damp, breezy weather conditions or the knowledge that the crowd was supporting one of their own. In overcoming all the disadvantages, he won a), his second European Tour victory in his 96th Tour event (the other was the low-key St Omer Open in 2003); b), his third as a professional; c), became the first Australian since Ossie Pickworth in 1950 to capture the Irish Open; d), kept up the sequence of at least one official Australian victory on the Tour every year since 1984.
"There are only a few people who know what you go through," he sighed. "Your family, coach back home, those who have been through it from day one. That's the best feeling, knowing they are ecstatic. I holed a downhill chip on the 16th that hit the pin and turned a possible bogey into a birdie. I knew I would win but was taking no chances. I am in the position where every win means a great deal to me, not just being the Irish Open but the quality of the field. It is great to have proven I can handle myself coming down the stretch playing in such company."
Harrington, finishing second for the 24th time and for the fourth occasion this season, believes he left the tournament behind on the first couple of days by not doing the right preparation (too focused on his swing rather than simply getting the ball in the hole). Poor starts on Thursday and Friday left him with too much ground to make up, but the most encouraging aspect of his performance is that he shot a total of 13 birdies in his last 27 holes. Wisely, he has decided against travelling to this week's Scandinavian Masters and will next be seen in action in the US PGA at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, in a fortnight's time.
"I am a hairsbreath away from breaking down physically," he conceded. "I need a rest. I am pushing it. I recognised the error of my ways from the first couple of days. When I went to the range today, I was getting ready to play golf, not to get my swing ready. As a consequence, I came out a lot quicker out of the blocks. I didn't feel all that good about my swing but knew to keep my mind sharp. It was always going to be a day for some ugly golf, not always picture perfect, and knew I would have to get up and down and hole some tricky putts. It was a question of getting better than ten under and I nearly did so but even then it wouldn't have been enough. "The home support was fantastic and at last I gave them something to cheer about having been a little in the doldrums in previous years. It goes down as another 2nd place but this time it was a good one. I look back at three rounds and see that I threw away a lot of shots. But that's golf. It is hard to be aggressive when you're in front. It's easier when you are five under with nothing to lose as I was ... no holds barred and fire it at the flag. It was great to be in contention and genuinely in contention so I gave the people something to cheer."
Harrington's start could hardly have been more inspirational - 20-foot birdie putt at the 1st, two-putt birdie at the 2nd, 30-footer for birdie number three at the 3rd, chip to four feet for birdie at the long 6th. Then came the first setback and it was at the 7th that his chance of victory faded.
"I don't think I lost momentum after that," he asserted. "In fact, my two best iron shots of the day were on eight and nine. Straight down the pin. You are going to make a bogey when you are pushing it and you have to put them behind and hope you make enough birdies. I wasn't in a position to get nervous. Nerves come into it when you are in front. I was just focusing on making more birdies."
Harrington won €165,025. Paul McGinley picked up €68,020 but for him the day must have been an even keener disappointment, no matter how good a face he tried to put on it.
He accepted that his game "still lacks momentum and I have no complaints. 5th place is alright. My last bogey was at the third hole in the third round but I need a much bigger cheque to keep my Ryder Cup prospects alive. Funnily enough, I played the par threes well but lost ground on the par fives. With a bit of luck, this will get me back into the world top hundred and maybe an invitation to the US PGA."
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
