At US Senior Open, Harrington hangs on, wins head-to-head showdown with Cink

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Padraig Harrington's decision when he walked down the 18th fairway Sunday was whether to play a safe approach and take a chance with the Broadmoor's curling, curving greens, or be aggressive and not leave the putting to chance.

He picked the second option, knocked his shot to 8 feet, and the only big decision over the next few minutes was whether he should wait for the man he beat by one, Stewart Cink, to putt out before he tapped in to claim his second U.S. Senior Open title.

Harrington came out on top in a major that felt more like match play, parlaying the approach into an easy two-putt par to seal his second title over the last four years in senior golf's most prestigous event.

Harrington shot 3-under 67 to finish at 11-under 209, edging Cink, who shot 68, on their fourth straight round in the same group.

''Sometimes playing it safe is not the right option,'' said Harrington, who recalled advice Hale Irwin gave him years back when Irwin suggested that, when in doubt, it's always better to play the shot you'd play if you were losing by a stroke.

After watching Harrington's shot, Cink — trailing by one and playing 30 yards in front of him on the fairway — had to be perfect.

But his approach landed on the precipice of a ledge, then spun backward toward the middle of the green. It was exactly the kind of result Harrington had been hoping to avoid moments earlier. Cink's ball didn't come to rest until it was 35 feet away and his desperation birdie try missed to the right.

With both players within tap-in range of pars that would close the tournament, there were some awkward pauses and laughter as Harrington marked from about 3 inches so Cink could putt out and the Irishman could be the last to tap in on 18.

''It kind of validates your career,'' said Harrington, whose majors came at the 2007 British Open and PGA, then the '08 PGA. ''It validates the past in a lot of ways. You're reliving the past glories, hitting shots, waving at the crowds. People are coming out because they know you from the past.''

It doesn't make losing any easier, though, and this was a heartbreaker for the 52-year-old Cink, whose major championship came at the 2009 British Open.

On a closing day that featured a basketball-like five lead changes and three ties, Cink had a pair of looks inside of 6 feet to even things on Nos. 16 and 17.

The one on 16 slid to the left, the one on 17 burned the edge and stayed right. Cink, who hit more greens over 72 holes than anyone (64), but downplayed the importance of that on this course, turned out to be right.

It really is putts that matter. Cink needed two more than Harrington on the fourth day of their showdown — the difference between winning and losing.

''It's frustrating because I hit really good iron shots there to put myself in position to get up there and force Harrington to make a little bit more of a heroic finish than just pars," Cink said. ''But it wasn't to be. I don't know, that's Broadmoor for you. I wish I could have those two putts over.''

Harrington finished with seven straight pars and added this to the U.S. Senior Open title he won in 2022.

The only player who became part of Sunday's show was Miguel Angel Jimenez. After opening with bogey, Jimenez made eight bridies to pull within a shot of the lead.

But he yanked his tee shot well left on No. 18, had to punch out and made bogey. He still shot the best round of the tournament, a 6-under 64, and finished in third, two shots back.

''We are human,'' said Jimenez, who won a senior major last week at the Kaulig Companies Championship. ''Just made a couple of mistakes.''

The other player in the Cink-Harrington group — players teed off in threesomes to beat the weather — was Mark Hensby.

Celebrating his 54th birthday, Hensby couldn't conjure any of the magic that led to 19 birdies over the first three days and a share of the lead. He only made two Sunday and shot 3-over 73 to tie for fourth at 5 under with Thomas Bjorn.

Harrington's tight approach on No. 18 cemented that green as the easiest he dealt with all week.

The day before the simple two-putt that wrapped up the tournament, Harrington chipped in for a birdie from about 20 yards out, and when Cink missed a good look at birdie of his own, Harrington was tied for the lead and set up with Cink for the fourth straight day.

''It did change things, there's no doubt about it,'' Harrington said. ''I got into the last group and I slept soundly last night. I was in a nice place going to bed last night.''

Sunday night for Harrington figured to be even better.

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