Padraig Harrington bogeyed the 18th - and cost his caddie Dave McNeilly a fiver.

The Dubliner carded a final round 69 alongside double Open champion Greg Norman to finish on seven over par.

McNeilly had bet Norman’s American caddie Tony Navaro that the Dubliner would avenge his defeat to the Great White Shark in an exhibition at Doonbeg last year.

They were level playing the last but in the end it was the Aussie legend who took the honours with a final round 68 as Harrington failed to chip and putt for his par at the home hole.

Harrington got on a roll with four birdies in a row from the third.

But his Open challenge had ended when he missed a short putt for a fifth birdie on the trot and failed to pick up any more shots.

After that it was a question of playing for pride and helping his caddie pocket an extra fiver for fun.

Harrington said: “Yeah, the caddies had a side bet. But I was disappointed to miss my par because I had played nicely up to that.

“I had joked with Greg that I was very generous in letting the designer win on his home track that last time at Doonbeg.

“You could see that he was excited about playing here. He doesn’t play much now and at many venues he’s lot the sparkle on them. He needs something special to get him going. And Royal St George’s gets him going. He needs the motivation of a good golf course.”

Harrington believes that modern golf courses and target golf can be boring because they force players to hit unimaginative shots

He said: “Sometimes these shots out of heavy rough we get are more of a test of lack of skill, not skill. The shots you have to play here this week are the kind you just don’t get any more.

“On the world tour these days, everything is heavy rough, have a swing at it. Here you have to make a perfect shot, make a perfect strike and go for it.”

Harrington began the day ten off the lead on nine over par. But his whirlwind start of four birdies in the first five holes had him believing he could make a charge for the title.

He said: “I was just having a go at the pins today and seeing how many birdies I could make.

“I felt something was on after making four birdies in a row. Then I hit one close on the seventh - to about four feet - but it was a pity to miss that one.

“It was better I played quite well. I did a bit of both things. I played some nice golf and holed some birdie chances. And I played some erratic golf at times and made some nice saves. I played a nice round of golf.

“It’s a lot easier when you are down the end of the field and you are not too worried about how you are playing.

“You are just trying to shoot the best score you can and that requires a different type of focus.”

Harrington hit a five-iron to 20 feet the second and rolled in the putt to start the day on a high.

Then he chipped to 12 feet at the fourth and holed that for another birdie before lashing a seven-iron stone dead at the 420-yard fifth to go three under.

When he hit a seven iron to just 15 feet at the par three sixth and holed that putt too, he thought he was still in with a chance.

But his challenge petered out at the next when he missed a four footer than would have got him to within six of his best mate Thomas Bjorn at the top of the leaderboard.

He missed another good chance at the ninth, saved a great par at the 10th from sand and got up and down at the 14th, 15th and 16th for pars.

At the 17th he hit a superb 180-yard four iron to seven feet but failed with the birdie putt.

Then at the last he pulled his drive and had to get relief from the spectator fencing before firing his second through the green for a disappointing bogey finish.

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© Brian Keogh 2003

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