Padraig Harrington fends off Steve Stricker to win U.S. Senior Open at Saucan Valley

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Padraig Harrington knew it wasn’t going to be an easy task trying to protect a 5-shot lead Sunday when he walked to the first tee of Saucon Valley Country Club’s Old Course for the final round of the U.S. Senior Open.

He was correct. It wasn’t easy. He could feel his lead diminishing under the charge of Steve Stricker, his 2021 Ryder Cup rival captain. When Stricker finished his final 18 with a 6-under-par 65, he stood one stroke behind Harrington.

But the gritty Irishman, playing in the final group three holes behind Stricker, drained a 30-foot birdie putt at the 15th and parred his last three holes for a 72 to come away with the victory in his first-ever Senior Open championship appearance.

“It’s very hard with a five-shot lead,” said Harrington, the winner of three majors on the PGA Tour. “You’re definitely very defensive. The last couple of holes, I suppose when I got back to a one-shot lead, I was still somewhat defensive, but it’s a position you want to be in.

“I didn’t enjoy hitting that putt (for par at the 18th hole) from three feet, but you just have to accept it. If you want to win tournaments, you’ve got to put yourself out there. It could have been bad, but I got the glory instead.”

Harrington’s total of 10-under 274 was one better than Stricker. Mark Hensby fired a 69 to grab third place at 280, followed by a three-way tie at 281 involving Rob Labritz, Thongchai Jaidee, and Gene Sauers, who played in the last pairing with Harrington.

Stricker stood eight shots back of Harrington after a 73 on Saturday. He was still seven back after seven holes of the final 18 before going on a run with six birdies on his last 11 holes, including a tap-in at the par-3 17th and a 5-footer at the 18th that had fans smelling a playoff since Harrington had three shots left to play.

“We came out with a goal of shooting 6- or 7-under, my caddie and I, and we ended up shooting the 6,” Stricker said. “(Saturday) really hurt; put me behind the eight ball. I know how difficult it is to win a tournament, let alone a U.S. Open. I knew, if I could get up there and put a little pressure on him and get to that 9-under number, you just never know.”

Harrington, meanwhile, played the front nine in even par but got into trouble when he tried to drive the green at the 327-yard 10th hole. He hit the ball into a deep clump of grass above the bunker, needed two shots to get on the green, and made bogey. He also bogeyed the par-3 11th with 3-putt.

Harrington’s lead had diminished to one when he arrived at the 15th tee but he sank a 30-foot putt for birdie to get to 10-under. His final two par putts – 4 feet at 17, 3 feet at 18 – weren’t gimmes but he calmly stroked them in to claim the championship trophy.