Double winning Honda Classic champion Padraig Harrington is now facing a Masters preparation dilemma.
Harrington earned an automatic invitation into the season’s first Major in ending a seven-year PGA Tour winless drought by capturing the rain-affected Honda Classic at PGA National.
The triple Major winner had trailed five shots behind and with 11 holes to play when he resumed his final round Monday morning US time.
Double Honda Classic winning Padraig Harrington now facing a dilemma of playing the final four events leading into the Masters. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
Harrington then brilliantly muscled his way to the lead with four birdies in succession from the 11th but then after taking a double bogey at 17 holed a superb 15-foot birdie putt to force a play-off with little-known American Daniel Berger for both players to end at six under par.
The 46-year old Dubliner then claimed victory at the second extra hole with a par after Berger found the same hazard on 17 as Harrington had, and ending with a double.
And while Harrington was clearly delighted with a first PGA success since capturing the 2008 PGA Championship he now has the dilemma of honouring four invitations he has been afforded over the next month starting with the March 12th commencing Valspar Championship at Tampa Bay and right up to the week before the Masters with the April 2nd to 5th Shell Houston Open.
“I was playing on invitation this week and after going home for a week, I’ve committed to the next four as I’ve been afforded invitations for them even though now I am officially exempt on the Tour for the remainder of this year and the next two years,” he said.
“That’s the one thing in seeking an invitation as I said if you give me an invitation, I will be there.
“So while it’s terrible preparations for the Masters I will never say ‘No’ to an invitation and I will honour them.
“In fact, I also got in contact with the Wells Fargo organisers and they got back to me literary five minutes after I had emailed them saying ‘yes’.
“So I do owe a few people favours now after this week and I fully accept that.”
However www.golfbytourmiss.com is sure that if Harrington were to explain his situation one of the four events would be pleased to take back the invitation for just as deserving player as the affable Irishman.
