Golf fans celebrate Open winner

Golf fans across Ireland were celebrating tonight after Dubliner Padraig Harrington won the Open Championship.

President Mary McAleese led the best wishes to the golfer, conveying her congratulations on his thrilling victory in Carnoustie.

But back on home soil the partying was just beginning, with members at Harrington’s Stackstown Golf Club preparing to celebrate through the night.

“It is absolutely out of this world,” said Tom Collins, captain at the south Dublin club.

“It’s a great feeling that I have never had before.

“I am from Tipperary, and I’ve seen Tipp win an All Ireland, but this is better.

“Having the Open winner here in Stackstown is unbelievable, out of this world, I have never experienced anything like it.”

Mr Collins said members watched the game eagerly all day, unsure whether Harrington would clinch the championship.

“We didn’t know looking at it if he was going to win,” he said.

“Golf is very unpredictable. But he came out at the right end of it and done well and won it. It’s great.

“We will be staying here for the rest of the night to celebrate.”

As the champagne flowed, the club captain paid tribute to the player who has never forgotten his roots.

Harrington is a lifelong member of the club.

“Padraig has been here since he was 10 or 11 years of age and he is a honorary member of Stackstown,” continued Mr Collins.

“He has been associated with Stackstown all his life. He does corporate days for us and looks after us.

“We will definitely be having a big night for him when he gets back.”

Meanwhile, fellow Irish player Ruairi McIlroy, 18, was named the best amateur in the same competition.

Michael Diver is a long-term member of Holywood Golf Club where Ruairi learned his skills.

“All the members are over the moon, he has been playing very well lately,” said the 60-year-old.

“I would say there will be a few of the members who have won money on him.”

The teenager won the amateur medal in the competition and made the cut with a 68 in the first round, the only amateur to do so.

Mr Diver added: “He has been playing since he was two years of age with plastic golf clubs. He has been fantastic lately and the club is so proud of him.”

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who watched the Open, said he was delighted with Harrington’s first major win.

“This is an incredible personal achievement and I am delighted for him and his family as I know how close he has come to winning a major on a number of previous occasions,” said Mr Ahern.

“I know of Padraig’s dedication on the practice ground and single-minded determination to improve his golf.

“I watched the afternoon’s coverage, as I know did thousands of other Irish people and enjoyed the excitement, and send my best wishes to Padraig on this fantastic victory.”

The popular Dubliner became only the second Irish golfer in history to win the Open title. The other being Fred Daly, who won it back in 1947.

William Hill bookies said in winning the title the 35-year-old, who was a 28-1 shot at the start of the tournament, has cleaned them out – with punters in Ireland winning more then 3 million euro.

The biggest taken was a 10,000 euro bet at 20-1 from a Dublin based client, who tonight scooped 200,000 euro.

“It was an absolute nightmare of a result for us in Ireland, we’ve been absolutely cleaned out,” said William Hill’s Irish spokesman Tony Kenny.

“There was no winner of the Lotto on Saturday, but there are thousands of Irish punters that have cashed in on Padraig’s Open triumph.”

The Bookmakers have now made Harrington a 16-1 shot to defend his Open title in 12 months time, and the red hot 1-16 favourite to win this year’s RTE Sports Person of the Year crown.