Padraig Harrington uses playoff victory for first PGA win since 2008

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Whether he was piling up majors or playing so poorly that he lost his PGA Tour card, never wavered from one goal in golf. Just get him anywhere near the lead with nine holes to play, and he would happily take his chances.

His caddie, Ronan Flood, reminded him of that Monday morning in the rain-delayed Honda Classic when Harrington was four shots behind at the turn.

“He said, ‘Look, would you have taken this on Thursday?’ And I said, ‘Yes, that’s what you want,’ ” Harrington said. “You want to be in contention with nine holes to go, because anything can happen coming down the stretch.

“And it did.”

Not even Harrington could have written the script to his final-round playoff victory at rain-soaked PGA National.

He ran off four straight birdies on the back nine to take the lead. He gave it back with a 5-iron into the water for double bogey on the par-3 17th. He made a 15-foot birdie putt to force a playoff.

And given a shot at redemption, he hit a 5-iron to within 3 feet on the 17th hole to win on the second playoff hole when 21-year-old rookie Daniel Berger hit into the water and made double bogey.

Ten years after winning the Honda Classic for his first PGA Tour victory, Harrington won it again. It was his first PGA Tour victory since he won the 2008 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills for back-to-back majors.