Playoff for the Claret Jug

Okay, maybe just one giant post? I'll update it hole by hole.

1:
Harrington hits a lovely drive. Sergio answers just a wee bit shorter, but still good. Sergio's second in the bunker close to the face. Harrington's on the green. Sergio's third is actually on the green, remarkable, really, from where it was, but leaving him a long putt. Which he just barely misses. Harrington's birdie putt looks simple and he strokes it dead center.

Harrington leads by 2.

The cameras found a kid in the stands at 18 reading Harry Potter. Presumably he'll stop when the golfers get to the green... but maybe not.

2:
Harrington's tee shot not particularly brilliant, to the left, up against a mound but quite acceptable. Sergio hits the pin with his, but it rolls past, leaving a long putt. Still, the ball was running, so this is actually a break for him. Not as much as holing it would have been, of course, but it stayed on the green. We could see a swing here! Harrington chips on, sort of close. Sergio putts for birdie, misses. Harrington putts for par, gets it. Sergio for par and gets it.

Still Harrington by 2.

3:
Harrington hits a very nice tee shot here, well down the fairway. Sergio's starts ugly but finishes in the short grass and well past Harrington's. Harrington's second shot carries the mound and lands on the green. Simply gorgeous. Sergio's second also ends up on the green, but a much longer putt. Oh, damn, Sergio. He missed that huge putt by an inch, if that. Par. Harrington's putt is for birdie and a three-shot lead. He's got to be thinking about how much he needs going to 18. And he misses the putt.

Still Harrington by 2

4:
Harrington hits his hybrid and hits the fairway but gets no run. Sergio hits driver, long and into the rough but a perfect lie. The burn is in play for Harrington but not for Sergio. Harrington has to lay up onto the fairway, with 103 yards to go. Garcia's second is on the green. Harrington's third shot is on the fairway but outside Sergio's. In fact, his putt will be exactly on Sergio's line. If there's a two-shot swing here, we (they) play 18 over. And over. Harrington long putt for par - doesn't make it, and leaves himself not a gimme for bogey. Now Sergio for birdie. If he holes it, Harrington will have to make his. O. My. Gawd. He hit it too hard; the ball ran right over the top of the hole. Sergio for par, and drops it. Now Harrington must make this bogey putt to win. And he does.

Padraig Harrington wins the Open.

Congrats to him, but rats.