Unlucky Harrington settles for 13th in US Open warm-up

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON had to settle for a share of 13th place yesterday in his final warm-up for the United States Open starting on Thursday.

Harrington closed to only one stroke off the lead with four birdies in the first seven holes of the delayed final round at the US Tour's Capital Open in Maryland.

But then came a bogey at the eighth, a double-bogey two holes later and bogeys at the 12th and 14th.

That ended the Dubliner's title hopes, but he finished with a one over par 72 and six under aggregate of 278.

South African Rory Sabbatini enjoyed his second US Tour victory at 14 under, beating Duffy Waldorf by two strokes and Joe Durant by four.

Bernhard Langer finished joint fifth, Swede Niclas Fasth second with a round to go seventh and Scotland's Paul Lawrie 42nd following a 77 that contained a quadruple-bogey eight at the fourth and, a six at the 10th.

Meanwhile Greg Owen wants his British Masters win to be the start of something big rather than simply the end of an 11-year journey.

"People say that the first win is the hardest and I want to prove them right," said the 31-year-old after capturing his maiden European Tour victory at the 158th attempt.

The three-shot triumph at the Forest of Arden came too late to get Owen into the field for this week's United States Open, but it makes it far more likely that he will be part of the Open at Royal St George's in Kent next month.

Two years ago Owen led at Royal Lytham and during his third round he holed his second shot to the 11th for an albatross. He rates that the shot of his career, closely followed by the one that gave him an eagle two on his US PGA debut last year.

But in terms of importance it will be hard to top the 213-yard three-iron he struck over water to within 12 feet on the par-five 17th in yesterday's final round.

Owen had seen his six-stroke lead halved and Darren Clarke, watching on television, could not believe he took the shot on when he could easily have opted for an easy lay-up.

"I have been swinging well, though, and I knew that if I aimed for the middle of the green it would feed down towards the flag," he explained.

"I could not have played the hole any better and to win in England in this event is a dream come true. It's fantastic, just fantastic."

The win followed 21 top-10 finishes without a single title. Only seven weeks earlier he missed a golden opportunity to win the Portuguese Open. Two ahead with five to play he bogeyed the next two, missed a four-foot birdie putt on the 17th and then bogeyed the last to finish fifth.