Harrington proves blonds have more fun
"I think I will," said Harrington. "Blonds seem to have more fun."
The world's eighth ranked player had just finished second for an amazing 21st time in his career and for the second year running in the prestigious Players Championship, golf's richest event and unofficial fifth major.
But although it goes down as another near-miss, the part the 32-year-old played in the climax to the tournament puts him in great spirits with the Masters just a week away.
Nine strokes behind Australian Adam Scott after six holes of his final round Harrington played the remaining 12 in a staggering eight under par with five birdies being followed by an eagle at the 16th and then birdie at the last.
Scott, still two ahead standing in the middle of the final fairway, pulled his second shot into water and brought back memories of Jean Van de Velde's nightmare collapse at the 1999 Open.
Given a short-game lesson by his hero Greg Norman in midweek, Scott put it to good use by chipping to 10 feet and then making the bogey putt.
Said Harrington: "I made a few mistakes at the start, but settled down mentally and the putts began to drop.
"In the first three rounds I made only one over 15 feet, but this was one of those days where whenever I hit a good putt it did what I expected it to do.
"The more times you can play with Tiger Woods in competitive play the more you are going to get used to it. This was only my fourth tournament of the year, so I am very happy.
"It augurs well. Events like this are nice to show you are going in the right direction and I seem to be developing as a player."
No one has ever done what Harrington did at the Stadium Course at the TPC at Sawgrass, playing the final six holes in 18 strokes, including the successful navigation of No's 16-18 in eagle, par, birdie fashion.
"A finish like that is always going to put a smile on your face, especially when you're in contention. Going into the last round in 12th position, you're hoping you're hiding in the pack and that you can gradually build up and all of a sudden have a good finish coming from nowhere. But when you tee it up with Tiger, you know that all eyes are on you from the start."
Harrington's start was a sorry sight, bogeying three of the first four holes to fall eight strokes behind Scott.
But after getting back to level par at the turn, Harrington added intrigue to the plot. A birdie at No 11 from four feet started his kick to the finish. Then beginning at No 13, all he could see was nothing so lovely as a three.
The run included a 26-foot birdie putt at the par four 14th, and he followed that up with another birdie from 13 feet. The round-maker came at the par five 16th hole. Harrington ripped a five iron from 196 yards that came to rest three feet from the hole.
"I said to myself I have to take a chance here and go at the pin, go all out, because there's a chance that if I put enough pressure on, post the score, it makes Adam think," Harrington said.
The eagle moved Harrington within three strokes of Scott. He concluded the string with a two-putt from 32 feet, though the birdie try peeked at the 17th hole, and a seven iron into 18 that set up a 13-foot birdie. Woods said the finish was, "an inspiration."
At least Harrington received a consolation prize of $864,000 and the knowledge that he continues to grow as a golfer.
Harrington's conservative nature doesn't dictate his every action. He dyed his brown hair blond late last year as part of an annual ritual.
"I'm like a businessman when he finishes a day's work," he said, explaining that one year he grew his hair long and another year he cultivated a beard. "At the end of the year I say to myself I want to get away from the formalities, change something just for my winter break. I think this blond hair might stick."
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