Harrington silences doubters

Padraig Harrington's consistency is remarkable

BBC Sport Online's John Haughey profiles the career of Volvo Masters winner Padraig Harrington

Padraig Harrington's victory at the Volvo Masters will surely silence those who had begun to question the Irishman's temperament.

Prior to Montecastillo, seven runner-up finishes this season had some commentators whispering that Harrington was showing a worrying inability to convert winning positions.

Harrington's collapse in the closing stages of the World Matchplay Championship in October when Ian Woosnam eventually triumphed, seemed to back up the thesis.

However, Harrington being the unflappable kind of player he is, duly contended the next week at the Dunhill Links event by finishing fifth.

That was typical Harrington.

There is no doubt the succession of second placers had begun to eat into him.

Neverthess, he remained confident that his next win wasn't far away.

Sometimes I pushed a little too hard and sometimes it just wasn't there

Padraig Harrington

"With all the second place finishes, something happened at different times," reflected the Irishman on Sunday evening.

"There are times when second place is actually very good.

"There were times when somebody would have played really well to beat me.

"But there were other times when I would be the one to make mistakes.

"Sometimes I pushed a little too hard and sometimes it just wasn't there," added Harrington.

Needless to say, Harrington's great attribute is his amazing consistency.

Time and time again, the 30-year-old Dubliner has showed the ability to recover from disappointments.

Take last year's Benson & Hedges International Open where he was disqualified while holding a five-stroke lead after 54 holes for failing to sign his first round card.

Harrington's wife Caroline is his greatest supporter

Granted...Harrington went another five months before achieving third European Tour title when he won the Turespana Masters but he still finished seventh in the 2000 Order of Merit.

Harrington's two victories in 2000 helped him creep into the world's top 20.

His progress over the last season is marked out by the fact his win on Sunday moves him to number 10 in the current Sony rankings.

The £333,000 cheque also enabled him to pip compatriot Darren Clarke for second place in the 2001 European rankings behind Retief Goosen.

Harrington's golfing career, right through from his amateur days, has been a tale of continuous improvement.

He stayed amateur until the age of 24 and found time to achieve an accountancy degree.

The Dubliner played on three Walker Cup teams - including alongside Paul McGinley at Portmarnock in 1991 - and took a leading role in Great Britain & Ireland's win over the United States in 1995.

Harrington made his Ryder Cup debut in 1999

Within a year, he had claimed his opening European Tour title with a remarkable pillar-to-post victory at the Spanish Open in Madrid.

Even the most talented of amateurs, Tiger Wood excepted, don't usually make that kind of impact into the professional game.

Harrington just missed out on a Ryder Cup place in 1997 but he did make the plane for Brookline two seasons later where he claimed a singles win over Mark O'Meara.

At that stage, he had joined up with coach Bob Torrance and the Scotman's tutelage has helped Harrington's game hugely.

Harrington's great strength remains a marvellous short-game but his ball-striking is now on a par with virtually all the top players in the world, as Vijay Singh noted earlier this year.

The Irishman is married to his childhood sweetheart Caroline who accompanies him to all his tournaments.

His greatest supporter could could be seen leaping excitedly in the gallery when the closing 25-foot putt dropped at Montecastillo on Sunday.