McGinley pays tribute to Harrington’s success

PAUL McGINLEY yesterday hailed Padraig Harrington’s Open victory as vital in breaking down the barriers to more European success in the majors.

Before Harrington’s memorable play-off victory over Ryder Cup team-mate Sergio Garcia on Sunday, 31 majors had been played without a European winner – a streak going all the way back to Paul Lawrie’s win on the same Carnoustie course in 1999.

There had been several near-misses of course. Harrington himself missed the four-man play-off – which did feature France’s Thomas Levet – at Muirfield in 2002 by a shot after a bogey on the 72nd hole, while Thomas Bjorn blew the 2003 Open at Sandwich by dropping four shots in three holes late in the final round.