‘The way he played yesterday, anyone could have carried his bag’

THE new British Open winner yesterday revealed that he did not like the look of his winning putt at the British Open Championship, despite nervelessly rolling it in for victory.

Pádraig Harrington was speaking after his triumphant return to Ireland following his historic win on Sunday.

Fielding a barrage of questions at Weston Aerodrome yesterday, Harrington set out his hope that more major championships can follow.

The 35-year-old Ryder Cup star also said he intended to spend the next 10 days off the course and in “party mode” and that he would ultimately get around to doing what his son, Paddy, asked him on Sunday evening — putting ladybirds in the famous claret jug.

Speaking about the infamous 18th hole, where he took a six in regulation play before securing victory on a play-off four holes later, Harrington said he thought he would chip in, despite hitting the water twice.

“I thought something spectacular was going to happen . . . I left the green thinking I’d made a good six, which wasn’t a bad feeling.”

He said that despite the intense pressure of the play-off, he had not allowed himself to get “emotionally involved”. He said he “never liked the putt” for victory and that he had to convince himself that it was heading for the centre of the cup and in.

That was echoed by caddie Ronan Flood, who said Harrington had never given in to disappointment, even when his ball plunged into the water twice on the 18th hole.

“The way he played yesterday, anyone could have carried his bag,” he said.

Indeed, while many watching thought of Jan Van Der Velde’s infamous 18th hole collapse in 1999, Harrington still believed victory would be his.

One supporter asked him yesterday if he had thought of the Frenchman’s disastrous finish, only for the Dubliner to mishear the question.

“What’s a Van Der Velde? Did I ‘drink’ a Van Der Velde?” he queried, before the penny dropped. “No, I did think about him, but I’m happy I didn’t make seven at the last. I’m glad I made a good six.”

He also joked that while Paddy Power might have lost money on his victory, they must have won a bit on him over the years. He said he now believed he could win more major tournaments as well as giving a fillip to other European competitors.

“I am going to go on and try to win more majors but I’ve won one, so nobody can take that away — it’s done.”

He also admitted to receiving a wave of text messages congratulating him on his victory, including from the Dublin football team, and also paid glowing tribute to his coaches, and his family — mother Breda, brothers Tadhg, Columb, Fintan and Ferghal — many of whom were there to meet him as he touched down. He also said his late father, Paddy, was uppermost in his mind, and a visit to his hometown club in Berehaven could be on the cards.

His next engagement is at a championship in Akron, Ohio, but he would be in party mode for the coming days.

“I have a week off and I am going to enjoy it. I have ten days before I have to play competitive golf again and I’ll let Akron look after itself when I get there,” he said.

The trophy, a copy of the actual cup, will accompany him everywhere.

“This is going to go everywhere I go. It’s going to be hard to part me from this.”