Harrington wants to be Europe's number one

For the second successive year the European Order of Merit looks like ending with Retief Goosen and Padraig Harrington occupying the top two spots.

But after winning the massive €821,000 top prize at the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews yesterday, Harrington, one of the Ryder Cup heroes a week ago, goes into the last month of the race entertaining real hopes of finishing ahead of Goosen this time.

The Dubliner’s victory, at the second hole of a sudden death play-off with Eduardo Romero, did not actually change his position in the money list table.

He still lies third, but now he has €2.2m to his name and is only €6,000 behind Ernie Els and €44,000 behind Goosen.

For a reason that has nothing to do with golf, Els appears out of the running.

The Open champion missed the final round over the Old Course after receiving a call at 6.30am that his wife Liezl had gone into labour.

The couple’s second child, a boy this time, arrived four hours later and it was only thanks to the fact that he had a private jet waiting that Els arrived in time for the birth.

Since their British base is at Wentworth Els should still be playing in the Cisco World Match Play Championship on the course next week, but he has always intended to take some time off once the brother for three-and-a-half-year-old Samantha had entered the world.

And that almost certainly means the Order of Merit crown – never a top priority for him in any case – will have to wait for another season.

Harrington was also in the mood to celebrate last night, having ended his 11-month wait for a title with two in one day. The Dunhill event is a celebrity pro-am and he and racehorse owner JP McManus were clear winners of the team section.

Since last November’s Volvo Masters triumph the 31-year-old has taken his number of runners-up finishes to 17 and an 18th was staring him in the face when Romero, one shot ahead, pitched to 10 feet on the final hole.

Harrington was 18 feet away, but he holed that and Romero missed.

The 48-year-old Argentinian, attempting to become the oldest-ever champion on the European tour three months after becoming the third oldest with his win in the Scottish Open, missed another chance on the first extra hole and was favourite at the next as well.

Harrington this time hit his approach to 10 feet and Romero to five. But the Irishman made his and Romero failed again.

“I feel sorry for Eduardo, but I really badly wanted to win, having lost plenty of play-offs (all his previous three, in fact) and tournaments,” said Harrington.

“It’s been the most extraordinary week as regards preparation. Because of the Ryder Cup I didn’t practise like I usually do. Normally I am obsessive about it, but I felt I was allowed to have a week off.

“It’s been the best two weeks of my career – although the Ryder Cup meant so much that even if I had finished last here it would still have been the best two weeks of my career.

“As for the Order of Merit, I knew two or three months ago I would have to win one of the big money events to have a chance.

“I’ll have to have a look at my schedule now. It’s a big focus for me. To be European number one is something that would look great on my cv – for me it’s just below the majors, so it’s very important.”

Romero himself might yet have a say in the outcome because he also went through the €1.6m mark for the season yesterday.

And in fifth place now and not yet too far back is Colin Montgomerie after a closing course record-equalling 63 that put him joint third with Vijay Singh and a revitalised Sandy Lyle.

Montgomerie, an astonishing nine under par after 12 holes, would have been in the play-off and would have equalled the lowest round of his life if he had birdied rather than bogeyed the last.

But coming on top of his Belfry heroics – he top-scored with four-and-a-half points out of five – the seven-times European number one was thoroughly satisfied with his fortnight’s work just like Harrington.

“People say that my major opportunity has gone and in down times you tend to believe them,” Montgomerie commented. “Majors are more difficult now because Tiger has entered them, but in the last few years there are players who have won one that I feel I am as good as.

“It wouldn’t change my life, but it might change the questions I get asked!”

Lyle, of course, has two majors to his name, but the Open was 17 years ago and the US Masters 14.

He has not won anywhere since the 1992 Volvo Masters and was in danger of losing his European tour card until yesterday’s €404,000 pay-day.

“It’s nice to know I can still compete at this high level,” stated Lyle. “It’s been a pretty frustrating time for me in recent times, but this is hopefully the start as I try to get back up the rankings.”