Harrington 'euphoric' to join exclusive double Open group

Padraig Harrington has joined a select club after completing victory at Sunningdale on Sunday.

Pádraig Harrington of Ireland poses with the trophy after winning the ISPS HANDA Senior Open 2025 at Sunningdale Golf Club  (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)

Padraig Harrington was so focused on his game that he didn’t notice a leaderboard or see Rory McIlroy walking in the gallery Sunday at the Senior British Open. He closed with a 3-under 67 to win his second senior major of the year.

Staked to a two-shot lead, Harrington made eagle on the first hole on the Old Course at Sunningdale and no one got closer than two shots the rest of the way as he became the fifth player with a Senior British Open and a British Open title.

He won by three shots over Thomas Bjorn (67) and Justin Leonard (68).

“I’m thrilled to have won but very satisfied that I’ve won a Senior Open with my two Opens,” Harrington said. “The fact that only five people have ever done it is quite special. I’m quite proud that I’ve managed to survive this long in the game."

He joined Darren Clarke, Tom Watson, Gary Player and Bob Charles as players to have won the British Open and the senior version.

He added: “I think they are the sort of things that you realise over the next couple of days, the significance of it. I'm thrilled, euphoric, that I've gotten it done.

“There are some great names on the trophy. I was watching it coming out last night. I was looking up inside at the board that has all the winners. It's a deep sense of satisfaction. I'm kind of on a high of winning, but then there will be that deep sense of satisfaction knowing that you've done both.

“And especially you come to this stage, there's only a certain window. You know, you can win later on as a senior but the window, they say, sort of up to about 55, 56, so you want to get it done.

“And having had a couple of second places, I didn't want to leave it too long. It would start becoming a problem if you don't win it too soon, and I'm glad I got mine.”

McIlroy walked around for a bit on the London-area course, though it wasn’t much of a show. Harrington seized control late in the third round and never gave anyone much of a chance.

Bjorn made a late charge to get within two shots, but that ended with a bogey on the 16th.

“The only time I saw a leaderboard was on 18,” said Harrington, who said he asked his caddie for an update on the 17th hole. “Was fully focused on what I was doing.

The Irishman was surprised to hear McIlroy, who is building a home in London, was at Sunningdale for the final round.

“I didn’t see him out there. Was he out there?” Harrington said. “I had the head down all day. I never saw anybody. I had no idea.” 

Harrington now has 11 titles on the PGA Tour Champions, and he has won multiple times each of the last four seasons. He won the U.S. Senior Open last month at The Broadmoor. And he nearly won the Senior PGA Championship at Congressional until a late two-shot swing gave the title to Angel Cabrera.

Associated Press