Harrington sinks rivals to bag top award
The 31-year-old Dubliner is still on a high after he spectacularly won $1m after toppling Tiger Woods in the Target World Challenge in California last month.
Harrington’s birdie year also saw him take second place in the European Order of Merit and he helped power Europe to a historic victory in the Ryder Cup at the Belfry.
Now ranked number eight in the world, Harrington’s string of fine performances on both sides of the Atlantic is winning him attention across the globe.
Three previous jousts with Woods had ended in defeat but nothing was going to stop him when he took on the world number one in December.
He also won the Dunhill links championship at St Andrews in October to cap off his best season since he turned professional in 1995.
Having just been pipped by South African Retief Goosen in the fight for the European Order of Merit Title, Harrington is set to soar like an eagle to try and take top spot in 2003.
Harrington came out tops from this year’s short list of 11 sports stars including Damien Duff; Robbie Keane; Sonia O’Sullivan; Paul McGinley; Dermot Lennon; Sam Lynch; Tony McCoy; Ronan O’Gara and Henry Shefflin.
A sports fanatic himself, Harrington was presented with a specially commissioned Waterford Crystal trophy by Bryan Jenkins, chief executive of Hibernian Group and Niall Cogley, head of television sport at RTÉ.
The world class Irish player has come a long way since he took up golf at the age of four encouraged by his parents Breda and Paddy Harrington, at Stackstown Golf Club in Dublin.
He was 15 when he played in his first amateur tournament and was beaten in the final on the 22nd hole.
Harrington has already started the new season in sparkling form with victories in the Asian Open and of course that memorable victory over world number one, Tiger Woods in the Target Challenge.
