Padraig Harrington captures back-to-back senior majors with win at ISPS Handa Senior Open
Harrington won the 2025 ISPS Handa Senior Open at Sunningdale in Berkshire, England. He signed for a 3-under 67 in the final round to finish the championship at 16 under, three shots clear of the field.
It's the second consecutive senior major title for the 53-year-old Irishman. He won the 2025 U.S. Senior Open by one shot over Stewart Cink in Colorado Springs last month.
This one is especially meaningful, though, considering Harrington — who won back-to-back Open Championships in 2007 and 2008 — had finished second in the British Senior Open twice before.
"You know, right now I'm just thrilled to have won the tournament and gone out there and played well. I think, yeah, that will seep in. I know you were talking about how I won The Open, to win the Senior Open, there's only five players, so you want to be in that category. I think they are the sort of things that you realize over the next couple of days, the significance of it.
"Right now I'm thrilled, euphoric, that I've gotten it done."
Harrington made eagle on the first hole in his final round Sunday, growing his lead from two to three over Justin Leonard. After posting 32 on the outward nine, it appeared as if Harrington would run away with it, but there was a brief moment on the back nine when that wasn't a sure thing.
Thomas Bjorn charged with three birdies in four holes on Nos. 11-14, but then he made bogey on No. 16 shortly after Harrington made birdie on No. 14, dashing Bjorn's hopes of lifting the trophy.
"I didn't know [Bjorn] did it," Harrington said. "I never look at leaderboards. The only time I saw a leaderboard was on 18. I asked Ronan on 17 what was my lead, and never looked at a leaderboard. Was fully focused on what I was doing.
In the end, Bjorn recorded his second T-2 finish in the 2025 senior major season — the first coming at the Senior PGA Championship in May. After a 63 on Friday, Bjorn sat just one shot behind Harrington entering the weekend, but ultimately couldn't keep up with the Irishman. He finished at 13 under after a 67 on Sunday.
Still, it's another impressive performance from the 54-year-old Dane, who now has five top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour Champions in 2025 to go along with a victory at the American Family Insurance Championship in June.
Leonard also finished at 13 under, earning his third top 10 finish of the season but falling three shots shy of capturing his second win of 2025 and the first senior major of his career. Just last week, Leonard, 53, made the cut at the 2025 Open Championship, which he won in 1997.
"I take a lot of good things from this last couple weeks," Leonard said. "You know, last week I was able to spend a couple days with Mike Thomas and just little mind things and trying to get a little more rotation in the clubface and stuff like that. Still plenty of things to work on but having a week like this where I hit it so consistently and hit it really good off the tee. You know, I'm excited about what's coming up here the rest of the year."
Australian Scott Hend, who competes on the Legends Tour, fired a 5-under 65 on Sunday to snag solo fourth at 12 under. Ernie Els and Cameron Piercy rounded out the top 5 in a tie at 11 under.
Harrington was awarded $447,800 of the $2.85 million purse.
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Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Padraig Harrington Deepens Career Legacy with Season's Second Major Title
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Padraig Harrington further cemented his place in golf history by winning the ISPS Handa Senior Open Championship at Sunningdale Golf Club in England. Not only is it his third senior major title, and second of the season, but he also became only the fifth player with both the Open and Senior Open titles under his belt. Harrington joined an illustrious list that already included the legendary Bob Charles, Gary Player, Tom Watsoand his compatriot Darren Clarke. "I'm thrilled to have won but very satisfied that I've won a Senior Open with my two Opens," he said, according to the winner's press conference transcripts. "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. Longevity, at this stage, I think we look for a lot of things about our legacy in the game. The fact that I'm only the fifth person to have done that double, that's pretty special." Pádraig Harrington of Ireland poses with the trophy during the fourth round of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open 2025 at Sunningdale Golf Club on July 27, 2025 in Sunningdale, England. Pádraig Harrington of Ireland poses with the trophy during the fourth round of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open 2025 at Sunningdale Golf Club on July 27, 2025 in Sunningdale, elaborated a little more on the value he places on leaving a legacy during his time in professional golf. "As you get older, you realize a lot of things is legacy and what you've done and you want to win on a great golf course like Sunningdale," he said, according to the transcripts. "You want to do things that stand out, and having won a real Open, coming out, winning the Senior Open, it does give some -- it adds a validation. It's certainly satisfying to do it, to extent your career that way." Harrington won at Sunningdale with a score of 16-under, thanks to rounds of 67, 65, 65, and 67. This gave him a three-stroke lead over Thomas Bjorn and Justin Leonard. The fifth man to win @TheOpen and The Senior Open! Padraig Harrington is the champion at Sunningdale! 🏆 — PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) July 27, 2025 Just a few weeks earlier, Harrington won the US Senior Open at the Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado. He had claimed his first major title in the 2022 edition of the same tournament at the Old Course in Saucon Valley, Pennsylvania. The Irishman was the 16th and so far last player to win the Open Championship in consecutive years, and one of only two to do so in the last 40 years. The other was Tiger Woods (2005, 2006). Harrington won the Claret Jug in 2007 at Carnoustie, defeating Sergio Garcia in a playoff. A year later, he repeated his triumph at Royal Birkdale, four strokes ahead of Ian Poulter. In 2008, he also won the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills, his third and final major title in the open category. More Golf: Akshay Bhatia Keeps It Real On Ryder Cup Hopes While Co-Leading 3M Open
Fox Sports
7 hours ago
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Padraig Harrington wins Senior British Open for his second senior major title this year
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NBC Sports
7 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Padraig Harrington becomes fifth to win Open and Senior Open titles; Rory McIlroy in attendance
Watch highlights from final-round action of the ISPS Handa Senior Open from the Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire, England. BERKSHIRE, England — 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 ISPS Handa Senior 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 Open and an 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 Open and the senior version. 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.
