Gutted Padraig Harrington saw his Smurfit European Open dream sink without trace in the waters of the K Club yesterday and vowed: I'll be back.

The 30-year-old Dubliner failed to take advantage of Michael Campbell's comedy of errors over the closing stretch, finishing in four way tie for second with Retief Goosen, Paul Lawrie and Bradley Dredge.

But he promised that his disappointment would be quickly forgotten despite his 18th hole failure.

"I'm gutted obviously. Michael got so much ahead that he saw the winning post and started to bleed. It was a good chance for me to win at the 18th but it will all be forgotten tomorrow when I get out there and start practising."

Harrington hit the water TWICE over the final three holes, missed a THREE foot par putt and still missed out on a play-off by just ONE shot in an epic finale.

And he singled out his failure to pick the right club all day long as the main reason for his downfall.

Said Harrington: "To make six bogeys is just bad news, but I struggled big time clubbing today. I was hitting the ball too far and the 18th was the only time I felt I had the right club in my hand."

Campbell looked to be cruising to victory when he opened up a five shot lead over Harrington with four holes to play.

But although the Kiwi finished with four bogeys in a row Harrington dumped his second shots in the water at both the par five 16th and 18th holes.

After a two shot swing at the 15th where Harrington made a birdie three, the first dramatic moment came at the par five 16th where Harrington 225 yard five-wood approach finished in the Liffey.

He scrambled a par five to Campbell's bogey but a chance had been lost to strike a vital blow.

Confessed Harrington: "I couldn't believe it. I hit a perfect five wood to the middle of the green and the wind hit it and moved it right. Obviously that was the worst outcome of any shot today."

When Campbell bogeyed the tough 17th, Harrington had three-foot par putt to close the gap to a shot going down the last but missed instead to give Campbell a lifeline.

Then at the 537 yard 18th Campbell splashed down in the lake in two but Harrington made the fatal mistake of trying to win the tournament with a dramatic eagle.

"I kept being given chances and at 18 I was trying to win it there and then. I didn't aim at the middle green. It was my opportunity to win the tournament there rather than seeing if I could win it in a play-off. I was trying to hit it as close as I could with a six iron down the shaft from 216 yards.

"I couldn't bring myself to hit at the middle of the green and I had one eye on the flag. But I pulled it a little bit and it went on the wind and kept going."

Harrington was able to drop the ball on the green, some 20 feet from the hole but his birdie putt slipped by and Campbell two-putted from 18 feet for a bogey six and a one-shot win.

"I was preparing my acceptance speech," said Campbell of his late collapse. "I made a couple of awful swings but that's the way it goes. I feel for Padraig. It's his home crowd and he missed short putt on 17 and then went in the water at 18. He's a great player who has all the shots and a great short game so one day he will do wonderful things."

Harrington refused to blame the adrenalin rush he got from the 28,000-strong crowd as the reason for his over-clubbing on several holes.

"The wind was a light breeze but I couldn't get on top of it early on and I wasn't buzzing straight away. A couple of shots went awry and I wasn't too confident after that," he said.

Harrington bogeyed the first but recovered with a birdie at the long fourth before setting off on a roller coaster run to the turn.

He bogeyed the fifth and seventh but recovered each time with birdies at the sixth - where he chipped in from 40 feet - and eighth to be just two behind Campbell at the turn.

A birdie-bogey start to the back nine was a bad omen and when Campbell birdied the 12th and 13th to go four clear to looked all over.

Harrington bogeyed the 213 yard 14th to go five behind and virtually hand the tournament to the New Zealander before that dramatic finish.

Said Harrington: "I didn't get down with the way I was playing. I was devastated with the on going in on 16th. I hit a perfect shot but obviously anyone taking it on is taking a big risk. Michael had only made one bogey at that stage all day and I had to go for it. This is the best golf course in the world to be behind going down the last three holes. You can finish birdie-birdie-eagle or double bogey or bogey any of the last three.

"The biggest mistake I made was the 11th where I made a bogey. It just wasn't to be and I had a few putts that didn't go in."

It was a fine tournament for Challenge Tour struggler Gary Murphy as he holed a 20-footer for birdie at the last.

The Kilkenny man took advantage of a late invitation to finish with a two under par 70 and a four round total of 289, one over par.

Murphy, 29, had four birdies and just two bogeys in his round for a timely boost before he heads to Finland for the Challenge Tour event this week.

Said Murphy: "I was pretty solid all round. It could have been a lot better but I hit the ball really well. It was fabulous to get in to the tournament and I took advantage."

Ashbourne club pro John Dwyer finished on a low note with a final round 78.

The Meath man finished on 11 over par alongside former Ryder Cup star Andrew Coltart.

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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