Pádraig’s fine effort puts Europe back on map

EUROPE has ended a seven-week run without a player in the world’s top 10, thanks to Pádraig Harrington’s brilliant last-round performance at The Players Championship in Florida on Sunday.

The 32-year-old Irishman produced a sizzling six-under-par 30 over the final nine holes at the TPC at Sawgrass, his closing 66 leaving him a shot behind winner Adam Scott of Australia and lifting him five spots to eighth in this week’s world rankings.

Harrington had been the continent’s sole representative two months ago but dropped out on February 9, slipping one spot to 11 after being dislodged by former world number two Phil Mickelson. That left Europe without a player in the top 10 for the first time since the official rankings were introduced in 1986. Harrington had been a regular since he broke into the world’s top 10 in November 2001 after winning the European Tour’s season-ending Volvo Masters.

However, Europe’s customary presence in the higher reaches of the global pecking order was restored by the Irishman’s red-hot display on Sunday, when he finished with six consecutive threes. “Things are going in the right direction,” he told reporters. “I’ve got to say that anybody finishing like that has got to be doing something right. It sounds nice, six threes.”

Although Kenny Perry and Phil Mickelson tied for third on Sunday, along with fellow American Frank Lickliter, Harrington leapfrogged the pair by climbing to eighth.

Australian Stuart Appleby and Mickelson slipped to nine and 10, respectively, with Perry dropping from 11 to 12. After Harrington, the next highest Europeans in this week’s rankings were compatriot Darren Clarke, at 15, Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson, at 18, and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, at 24.