Padraig Harrington today revealed how a fear of failure had driven him to become the first European golfer in more than 100 years to successfully defend the Open Championship.

Having celebrated his four-shot victory at a house party that didn't end until four o'clock this morning, the Ulsterman admitted the image of calm he portrayed during four dramatic rounds at the Royal Birkdale was a false one.

Harrington, whose win over Ian Poulter and Greg Norman has taken him to third in the world rankings, said: "Fear has always been a motivator in my golf. Fear that I might come out one day and find my ability to play has gone is a big part of me.

"I would like to say that I have all the trust and faith in myself to be nice and relaxed, but that's not in my make up. Fear pushes me on, it keeps me practising and keeps me going to the gym. I simply have to work with it."

"Certainly after my first major win [in last year's Open], there was a massive fear that I would go down the road of so many guys who have won one major and then feel they've peaked in their career, and as a consequence they've struggled to keep an intensity in their game."

He need not have worried, with his tournament total of a three over par 280 seeing him become the first European to make a successful Open defence since James Braid in 1905-06, while the £750,000 he pocketed assured him of his place in Nick Faldo's Ryder Cup team in September.

Harrington also revealed his hope that Faldo will give him the opportunity to once gain pair up with Colin Montgomerie, who is struggling to qualify by right, at Valhalla in Kentucky.

The pair teamed up to beat Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the opening fourball at Oakland Hills four years ago, and Harrington said: "I hope, now that I'm in the team, to tee it up with Monty in the Ryder Cup. I look forward to that.

"I look forward to playing with anybody in the team but certainly, thinking back to the last couple of times I played with him, Monty would be a pick of mine.

"He is a different man when it comes to the Ryder Cup. I don't think any player would not want to tee it up with him."