USPGA: What a wonder Pádraig Harrington remains

Pádraig Harrington of Ireland plays a shot on the tenth hole during the final round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 17, 2026 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Pádraig Harrington strode from the second green to the third tee at Aronimink Golf Club shortly after Sunday morning became Sunday afternoon.

The lazy reach is to say that a player in the autumn of his career had a spring in his step. But Harrington’s relentlessness, his bloody irresistible energy puts the pressure on the rest of us to avoid slacking, even on the cliches.

Anyway, he had a whole lot more than a spring in that 54-year-old stride of his, a little wonky these days but like everything else about the man, uniquely Harrington. There looked to be a bolt of energy coursing through him after he poured in his first birdie of the final round of the 108th PGA Championship.

The Dubliner had moved into the top 26, 1-under for the tournament and just five off the lead. He duly unleashed all of that energy on the ball he teed up on the third hole and bombed it away down the left of the fairway, 339 yards according to the trackers.

Read that again: mere months shy of his 55th birthday, Harrington was sending drives 339 yards down fairways in the heat of a major Sunday. Perhaps he’d been watching those golf tip videos on YouTube that some of the young pros at the PGA were talking about?

What a wonder Harrington remains. Do we appreciate him nearly enough? This was another week that would leave you questioning exactly that.

Finishing in style. ✨

Two-time PGA Champion Pádraig Harrington chips in at the 18th to close with a final-round 69 at Aronimink.#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/QiOnfTNE6t

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 17, 2026

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As Aronimink Golf Club spent the first three days of action — Thursday and Friday especially — getting under the skins of the leading lights of this generation, the majority of mere mortals watching on around the world were revelling in it.

A major that has long struggled to find its place among the other three was serving up a classic. Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry just didn’t get that memo. Lowry’s Saturday evening take included the line “we want to play a similar set-up everyday” which really didn’t feel like it met the moment or mood. Pointedly, McIlroy would later walk back some of his own Friday criticisms.

The shimmering Wanamaker Trophy which was lugged around Philadelphia all week by a white-gloved porter has Harrington’s name on it, even if you have to run the finger down 18 years to find it. His opinion on the set-up should be valued.

“I would have thought the fans loved it,” was his first reaction to BBC. “Maybe from a players’ perspective…we’re trying to make pars. But the fans love a bit of drama don’t they? I always think they love when we look very human and expose our frailties.

“I for one don’t want to see 20-under par anyway. I’m not going to compete on a golf course like that. I want to see a golf course where level par is a decent score and six, seven, eight under par is winning.” 

It was a striking point of difference from his compatriots and a reminder that the man who grew his passion for the game traipsing up and down the hills of Stackstown has never lost his sense for the everyman and woman watching on.

Thirty one years after he turned professional, Harrington’s peers who are young enough to be his sons are watching too. He revealed that Saturday partner Kristoffer Reitan, one of the hottest properties on tour, thanked him for his Paddy’s Golf Tips YouTube tutorials.

“He told me he follows me, he subscribes to me, on YouTube and I’ve helped him out. So, even better,” smiled Harrington. Which tip had helped? “The narrow stance lesson. To help get your arms past your body with a narrow stance. Wide stance you’re more likely to sway, narrow stance you’re more likely to turn. A few years ago now. Most pros have watched at least a little.”

In the first two rounds Maverick McNealy shared 36 holes with Harrington. On Friday the American would surge into a halfway share of the lead and experience being atop a major field for the first time in his life. Playing alongside the man who won three of them in the space of two years helped.

“Honestly, it was a lot of fun playing with Paddy Harrington out there today,” said McNealy on Friday evening. “It's been a frustrating year in some ways for me, and seeing a guy that has such a great attitude and really loves the game and loves to compete as much as he does and just quintessential great professional golfer, that was a great example for me out there today from an attitude standpoint. And he played great today, so that was a lot of fun.”

Harrington wasn’t just there to have fun though. He started this week telling RTÉ’s Greg Allen that he’s adamant a fourth major can still be his. As almost two dozen pros began a battle royale to claim this year’s title, Harrington’s 2026 run was coming to an end. That bomb down the third was as close as he’d get to contention.

Chip-in eagle from the bunker for Pádraig Harrington at the 16th! 👏🦅#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/Yh17pnSlWS

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 17, 2026

But he wasn’t done entertaining the masses and having fun with it. After bogeying the eighth, ninth and 15th to move to 2-over for the tournament, he found the green-side bunker on the long 16th. It could have got worse. It sure didn’t.

With precious little space to work with he swished out a wee beauty which bounced once, hopped twice and rattled in for eagle. Back to even par. High five for Ronan Flood, who’s always been there on the bag, and a big huge Harry smile as the fans behind him revelled in it all.

On his 72nd hole of the week, in front of heaving grandstands, he’d do it one more time, silk hands as he cushioned a sumptuous chip and run in for a 3-3-3 finish and a birdie which gave him a 69. He was inside the top 20 and almost certain of his best finish at a Stateside major in five years. He took off his cap and soaked in the adulation.

There’s a mostly millennial meme that’s been doing the rounds for a while now and appears whenever it seems like cultural roots or heritage are seemingly forgotten. “We’re losing the ancient texts!” it goes. Padraig Harrington’s entire career is probably the antithesis of textbook. But when it comes to the game of golf in 2026, he’s the antidote to the sense that we’re losing our ancient texts. Long may he be found out there doing his Harrington thing.