Padraig Harrington is having a blast on the PGA Tour Champions.
In his first season on the senior circuit, the 51-year-old Irishman has now earned three wins, most recently Sunday at the 2022 Ascension Charity Classic. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s now two wins in Harrington’s last three starts after he previously claimed the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in August and the U.S. Senior Open in June.
It wasn’t always pretty in the final round for Harrington, who almost lost the lead down the stretch after making three bogeys – as well as two key birdies – over his last six holes
“I had done the work today, hit four wedges pretty stiff, had four eagle putts on top of that, so I had done all the work, I just had to get to the clubhouse and sometimes that’s just not that easy,” said Harrington after his round.
Y.E. Yang played his way into contention and came up one-shot short in second at 13 under after a 5-under 66 in the final round. Steve Stricker finished in third at 12 under, followed by Bernhard Langer in fourth at 11 under. Clark Dennis, Ernie Els, Bob Estes, John Huston and Steven Alker all finished T-5 at 10 under.
Harrington is closing in on Alker in the Charles Schwab Cup Standings but still trails the 51-year-old from New Zealand, who also has three wins this year on the senior tour. Alker was victorious at the Rapiscan Systems Classic, Insperity Invitational and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, and has also lost in a pair of playoffs at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship and ClubCorp Classic.
The Champions tour is back in action later this week at the Sanford International at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
