Reevaluating Paddy Harrington's Three Major Romp

When Padraig Harrington became the first Irishman to repeat as Open Champion in 2008, the knock on his feat was that he won his second Open without Tiger Woods in the field.  The number one had just ended his season by going under the knife to repair a wounded leg that he hobbled on to win the US Open at Torrey Pines.  

A few weeks later at an abominable setup by the PGA at Oakland Hills, Harrington again rose to the occasion.  With a putt at the 18th for par and a double clutch fist pump, Paddy had won consecutive majors for the first time since Tiger Woods did the double in '06.  Woods was absent for Harrington's win.

The Irishman had three majors on his hand and just about as much respect for it as Larry Nelson gets for his three.

Now, days removed from crowing King Louis, perhaps it is time to rethink the respect that Harrington gets for his accomplishment.

In the nine majors since Tiger Woods won the Open at Torrey Pines, Harrington is the only man to have won multiple majors. True, Woods was absent for both wins, but he was fundamentally absent from the '09 Masters in which Angel Cabrera became the second of three men to back up a prior major win since Woods' drought began.  Phil Mickelson is the other by winning his third Masters in April.

Tiger was a contender in the last two US Opens, losing ultimately to Lucas Glover and Graeme McDowell.  We all know about the YE Yang situation.  Woods was a factor at Augusta, but not really a contender on Sunday.  Tiger was barely a blip at the last two Open Championships.

Sum it all up: Woods was absent for two, practically absent from another two, very close on one, and not really a factor in two others.  With the very notable exception of YE Yang's staredown, what did those other men accomplish with Woods in the field that Harrington did not?

Harrington won the '08 Open in ridiculous conditions.  His 5 woods to the 17th at Birkdale is one of the all time great shots in major championship golf.  He stared down Greg Norman, whose charge was more than legitimate.  He went under par on Sunday in obscene conditions - much tougher than what stopped play at the Open last Friday - and defended his crown.

Oakland Hills was an equally severe test.  After about a handful of years of solid PGA Championship setups, the final major became quite a bear.  Harrington shot a pair of weekend 66s to take the championship from Sergio Garcia who, in fairness, did give drown his chance at the 70th hole.

Harrington won all of his majors from behind after 54 holes - the complete opposite of Woods.  

Paddy stopped Garcia from winning majors twice.  To raise the counter argument, Garcia kind of handed two majors to Harrington.  The '08 PGA certainly, but the pair traded the hot potato at Carnoustie.

Now we look at a string of major champions since Harrington that are mostly fresh faces.  They're guys who win from the thirties through seventies in the Official World Golf Ranking.  Harrington was the last man to truly make a charge at the majors.  

Were Paddy to win again, he would tie Phil Mickelson of all people, whose legend grew significantly with a third Masters win, and did so in tournaments where Woods was only looming in one.  (Could make a judgment call on a second.)

Harrington is still seeking what escaped his game so that he can win a fourth major.  Still, with Tiger Woods looking to do the same now, his major run should not be lessened.