A revitalised Padraig Harrington will head to golf’s next Major seriously threatening to join fellow Irish Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy as a U.S. Open champ.
 
Harrington easily finished the best of the four Irish at the Masters in posting a final round 72 for a share of eighth place on four under par.
 
It’s Harrington’s best Augusta National finish since he shared fifth place four years ago.
 
The Triple Major winner is sure to pick up a big bag full of World Ranking points and lifting him four spots from 100th place heading to Augusta and the likelihood of into the high 70s.
 
Harrington also will collect plenty of European Ryder Cup points courtesy of Euro 200,000 prize cheque.
 
He went into the last round having stormed his way up the board on Saturday with five birdies over his closing six holes in a score of 68 and lying just five off the lead.
 
Harrington’s last day got off to a great start when he birdied the second for the fourth time in the tournament.
 
But he then pared the next three before birding the par three sixth hole for the first time in the event.
 
However the Dubliner’s momentum stalled over the next eight hole with Harrington sandwiching a bogey at nine in between pars from the seventh to  the 14th.
 
The par five, 15th was again kind to Harrington, and like the second, he also birdied the hole on each of the four days.
 
But the hopefully promise of eclipsing his best ever Augusta ended when he doubled last.
 
“I hit it very close every day and I haven’t seen any of the golf, but I’d be surprised if people had as many short putts as I had for birdie today,” he said.
 
“I putted well, I just didn’t hole them.  I wasn’t reading them right. 
 
“But it was a good day all the way.  I played well, hit it well. 
 
“So it’s been a very positive week, save for the double bogey, but it’s no disaster. 
 
“It’s not like it cost me the tournament.  It might have cost me a few dollars.  That was it.”
 
Harrington is remaining in the States for this week’s RBC Heritage at Hilton Head and some four hours drive south-east of Augusta.
 
And with the next Major to start on June 14th at the Olympic Club in San Francisco Harrington will head to the Golden Gate City in a welcome return to Major Championship winning form.
 
“I hope this is me back to Majors wining form, I hope so,” he said.
 
“I feel really good about where I am and I feel I’m on an upswing, an upturn in my game. 
 
“So yeah, I’m looking forward to going forward.”