Harrington wins Carnoustie thriller

The 35-year-old Dubliner, first Republic of Ireland golfer ever to hold the Claret Jug and only the second Irishman, beat Ryder Cup team-mate Sergio Garcia by one shot in a four-hole play-off.

They had had 20 top 10 finishes in majors between them without a win, so the joy for Harrington when it was over was inevitably mixed with incredible relief.

Yet just over an hour earlier Harrington had looked crushed when, one ahead with one to play, he twice went in the Barry Burn for a double bogey six on the 18th - the hole, of course, Jean Van de Velde had triple-bogeyed eight years ago when three clear.

The 27-year-old Spaniard needed a four to win - he avoided the burn safely enough, but pulled his second into a greenside bunker, splashed out to eight feet and lipped out.

They tied on the seven under par total of 277, Harrington having come from six back with a 67 and Garcia, three clear of the field at the start of the day, managing only a 73.

Reprieved, Harrington immediately went two strokes ahead in the play-off, holing an eight-foot birdie putt on the first hole after his opponent had failed to get up and down from sand again. Incredibly, Garcia then hit the flagstick on the 248-yard 16th, their second, but they both came off with par threes.

Crossing to the 461-yard 17th, they both parred again, although Harrington missed a six-foot chance to increase his lead to three - and back it was then to the dreaded 18th. He chose another of his woods on his return and he then decided to lay up short of the burn with his second.

Garcia was on in two, 25 feet from the flag, and there was a chance for him again when Harrington pulled his third 10 feet further away. The Irishman's par putt ran almost four feet past and Garcia, for the second time on the green, was inches away from making his - but Harrington holed and the title was his.