Brave attempt by Harrington, but Scott wins TPA title

A brilliant bid by Padraig Harrington to capture the Players Championship, golf’s richest event, came up just short in Florida today.

But only after Australian Adam Scott had holed a 10-foot bogey putt on the last after what television commentator Johnny Miller called “one of the worst shots I have ever seen under pressure.”

Scott, at 23 trying to become the youngest-ever winner of the sport’s unofficial fifth major title, came to the last two ahead and sensibly used an iron off the tee.

But his next was pulled horribly into the lake bordering the hole.

It meant he had to get up and down from just short of the green to win. It was not an easy chip because of the tiers across the putting surface, but the Surrey-based player got it onto the correct level and made it to earn £800,000.

His relief was almost audible.

So, for the 21st time in his career and for the second time in a row in this event, Harrington had finished runner-up. Yet, far from haunting him, the way he charged into contention ought to fill him with hope for the Masters in two weeks’ time.

The Dubliner played the last 12 holes in a spectacular eight under par with an eagle and six birdies, out-scoring playing partner Tiger Woods by seven with a 66.

But he had to be content with a cheque worth £480,000, Scott’s 70 for a 12-under-par total of 276 squeezing him home by one.

“The second shot was one of those things that can happen, but the putt was straight and it was my mistake if I missed it,” said Scott, who had failed to hole from four feet on the long 16th.

Harrington begun his run from nine behind and it proved to be just too much to catch Scott, whose name was already being inscribed on the trophy when he made his last-hole blunder.

Scott has been given a hard time since January when he finished behind 14-year-old Michelle Wie in Hawaii, but his second US Tour win proves what a talent he is.

Harrington began his burst with birdies at the seventh and ninth to turn in 36, then went into overdrive on the back nine.

Joint second six strokes behind Davis Love last year, he then birdied the long 11th, made a 25-footer two holes later and a 14-footer at the 15th.

But the best was still to come.

There was not much room between the flag and the water on the 507-yard 16th, but the Dubliner found it and the ball curled in to three feet.

When he made the eagle putt he was five under for the last five holes. He was then an inch away from making a 32-foot birdie putt at the 17th and as he finished with a 14-foot birdie putt for an inward 30 Scott bogeyed the 14th to be only two ahead at 13 under.

Paul Casey had threatened to get in touch with two early birdies, but finished joint 10th, while Woods was in a tie for 16th.

Harrington said: ``I made a few mistakes at the start, but settled down mentally and the putts began to drop.

“It was one of those days where whenever I hit a good putt it did what I expected it to do.

“On the last three days I made only one over 15 feet. I think I collected them all up for today and had them all in one round.”

Woods called it one of the best putting displays he had seen.

“Wow, huh?” he commented. “He made absolutely everything and they went in the middle too. I was cheering for him because the way he was putting was phenomenal.

“You don’t get to see that very often and to be next to it is pretty impressive.”

Scott was joined in his celebrations by a Scot – Alastair McLean, who had linked up with him as his caddie after his 10 years with Colin Montgomerie came to an end two years ago.

Meanwhile, Casey’s fellow Englishman Ian Poulter was involved in a bizarre incident on the fourth hole of his final round.

Picking up his ball “in a bit of temper” after marking it he lost his grip and it went into the lake.

It would have been a two-stroke penalty if it had gone unfound, but watching was Poulter’s fitness coach Kam Bhabra, who used to work with Arsenal, and in he went to retrieve it.

“It was the first ball I found,” he said later after a change of clothes. “I was a bit worried about alligators, but duty called.” Poulter parred the hole and finished with a 74 for level par and 33rd place.

Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie, meanwhile, both had their lowest rounds of the week as they sought confidence for the Masters in two weeks’ time.

Clarke had a 69 to finish on one under and joint 26th and Montgomerie a 70 to be one over and 42nd.

Justin Rose, worried by his putting, had 75 for three over and 58th, Nick Faldo a 76 for five over and 72nd.