Pádraig Harrington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pádraig Harrington
Harrington at the 2007 Open Championship
Personal information
Full name	Pádraig Peter Harrington
Born	(1971-08-31) 31 August 1971 (age 53) Dublin, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	83 kg (183 lb)
Nationality	Ireland
Residence	Dublin, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Spouse	Caroline ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	2
Career
Turned professional	1995
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour European Tour PGA Tour Champions
Professional wins	43
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	6
European Tour	15
Japan Golf Tour	1
Asian Tour	4
Champions Tour	11
European Seniors Tour	3
Other	11
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 3)
The Masters Tournament	T5: 2002, 2008
U.S. Open	T4: 2012
The Open Championship	Won: 2007, 2008
PGA Championship	Won: 2008
Achievements and awards
European Tour Order of Merit winner	2006
European Tour Golfer of the Year	2007, 2008
European Tour Players' Player of the Year	2008
PGA Tour Player of the Year	2008
PGA Player of the Year	2008
PGA Tour Champions Rookie of the Year	2022
World Golf Hall of Fame	2024

Pádraig Peter Harrington (born August 31, 1971) is a famous Irish professional golfer. He plays on the European Tour, PGA Tour, and PGA Tour Champions. He has won three major golf championships. These include The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008, and the PGA Championship in 2008.

Pádraig spent over 300 weeks in the top 10 golf players in the world. In July 2008, he reached his highest ranking of third in the world. He was also part of six Ryder Cup teams for Europe between 1999 and 2010. In 2024, he was honored by being added to the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Golf Journey

Pádraig Harrington was born in Dublin, Ireland. He was the youngest of five sons. His father, Paddy, was a police officer and a talented athlete. He played Gaelic football, was a boxer, and a hurler. He also played golf with a good handicap.

Pádraig grew up in Rathfarnham, a part of Dublin. Other professional golfers like Paul McGinley also came from this area. Pádraig and Paul even went to the same school, Coláiste Éanna. Pádraig's brothers and father encouraged him to play golf. He developed his skills at Stackstown G.C. nearby.

Becoming a Professional Golfer

Pádraig had a very successful amateur golf career. He won the Walker Cup with the Great Britain & Ireland team in 1995. After this, he became a professional golfer in September 1995. He joined the European Tour in 1996.

Pádraig started professional golf a bit later than some. He had studied accountancy at university for several years. He wasn't sure if he should become a professional golfer at first. He even doubted his own abilities.

First Wins and Success

Pádraig won his first tournament quickly. It was the 1996 Peugeot Spanish Open, only his 10th event on the European Tour. For a few years, he often finished second in tournaments. He had four second-place finishes in five events in late 1999. These strong finishes helped him play in his first Ryder Cup in 1999. He also won the 1998 Irish PGA Championship.

In 2000, Pádraig started winning more often. He won two European Tour events: the Brazil São Paulo 500 Years Open and the BBVA Open Turespaña Masters Comunidad de Madrid. These wins helped him finish 7th on the European Tour Order of Merit. In 2001, he won his fourth European Tour event, the Volvo Masters Andalucia. He also had six second-place finishes. This moved him to second place on the European Tour's Order of Merit.

Pádraig continued to do well in 2002. He won the Dunhill Links Championship in October. He finished second on the European Tour's Order of Merit again. This great form earned him a spot in the 2002 Ryder Cup. Europe won the cup, and Pádraig helped by winning an important point.

His winning streak continued into 2003. He won the BMW Asian Open and the Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe. He was also invited to the 2002 Target World Challenge in the USA, which he won. This was his first win in the United States. He finished third on the 2003 European Tour Order of Merit.

In 2004, Pádraig won two more European Tour events. He finished 3rd on the Order of Merit. This was his fourth year in a row in the top 5. He also played in the 2004 Ryder Cup. The European team won by a huge margin.

In 2006, Pádraig won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship again. This was his second win at a links golf course. This win was a sign of his future success at The Open Championship. He then won the 2006 European Tour Order of Merit. He won it on the very last hole of the last event.

In 2007, Pádraig won the Irish Open for the first time. He was the first Irish player to win it in 25 years. He was named European Tour Golfer of the Year in both 2007 and 2008.

PGA Tour Highlights

Pádraig joined the PGA Tour in 2005. In March, he won his first official PGA Tour event, the Honda Classic. He won in a sudden-death playoff. In June, he won the Barclays Classic with an amazing eagle putt on the final hole. Two weeks later, his father passed away. Pádraig had to withdraw from The Open Championship.

Pádraig was in the world's top 10 for over 300 weeks between 2001 and 2010. He reached third place after his second Open Championship win. He played for Europe in six Ryder Cups. He was on the winning team four times. He also won the fun par-3 contest at Augusta National Golf Club in 2003, 2004, and 2012.

Winning Major Championships

Harrington teeing off at the 2007 Open Championship.

At the 2007 Open Championship, Pádraig beat Sergio García in a four-hole playoff. He became the first Irishman to win The Open Championship in 60 years. Both players had finished with a score of 7-under par. Pádraig won the playoff by one stroke.

A year later, at the 2008 Open Championship, Pádraig wasn't sure if he could play. He had injured his wrist just eight days before. But he successfully defended his title! He started two shots behind Greg Norman and shot a final round of 69. He played the last nine holes incredibly well. His eagle on the 17th hole sealed the win. He was the first European golfer since 1906 to win The Open Championship two years in a row. This win moved him to third in the world rankings.

Just three weeks after winning The Open, Pádraig won the 2008 PGA Championship. This was his third major championship. He shot amazing scores of 66 in the third and fourth rounds. He finished two shots ahead of Sergio García and Ben Curtis. Pádraig was the first European to win the PGA Championship in 78 years.

Pádraig was the first golfer since Mark O'Meara in 1998 to win two majors in the same year. He was also the first to win back-to-back majors in the same year since Nick Price in 1994. His PGA Championship win also made him the number one player in Europe. This earned him a spot on the 2008 European Ryder Cup team.

Later Career and Senior Tour

The year 2009 was tough for Pádraig. He missed the cut in several events. He was working on changing his swing with his coach. He finished tied for 65th at The Open Championship. At the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, he was playing against Tiger Woods. Pádraig led by one shot, but then had a triple-bogey on the 16th hole. He finished tied for second. He ended 2009 without a win on the European or PGA Tours.

In 2010, Pádraig had an inconsistent season. He was a controversial choice for the 2010 Ryder Cup team. But he helped Europe win the Ryder Cup. It was his sixth Ryder Cup, and his fourth time on the winning team. He won his first tournament in two years at the Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia.

In 2011, Pádraig was disqualified from an event after his ball moved slightly on the green. This led to a rule change in golf. In June 2011, he dropped out of the world's top 50 for the first time since 1999.

In 2012, Pádraig shot a fantastic 61 in the first round of the Transitions Championship. This was his lowest-ever round on the PGA Tour. He finished tied for 8th at The Masters. This was his first top-10 finish in a major since 2009. At the 2012 U.S. Open, he was close to winning his fourth major. He finished tied for fourth place.

In October 2012, Pádraig won the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. He had a difficult time in 2013 and 2014. His world ranking fell to 385. But in December 2014, he won the Bank BRI Indonesia Open. This was his first official win in four years.

In March 2015, Pádraig won his first title on the European or PGA Tours in seven years. He won the Honda Classic in a playoff. This win qualified him for The Masters again. In August 2016, he played for Ireland at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In October 2016, he won the Portugal Masters. This was his first European Tour win since 2008.

On January 8, 2019, Pádraig was chosen to be the captain for the 2020 Ryder Cup. The event was delayed to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. His European team lost to the USA.

In 2022, Pádraig started playing on the PGA Tour Champions (for golfers aged 50 and over). He finished second in his first senior major, The Tradition. On June 26, 2022, he won his first senior major, the U.S. Senior Open. He beat Steve Stricker by one stroke. He has since won two more senior majors: the U.S. Senior Open again in 2025 and The Senior Open Championship in 2025.

In March 2023, it was announced that Pádraig would be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2024.

Personal Life

Pádraig Harrington has known his wife, Caroline, since they were children. They got married in 1997. They have two sons, Patrick (born 2003) and Ciarán (born 2007).

Pádraig's oldest brother, Tadhg, is a professional golf coach. He runs the Harrington Golf Academy in Dublin. Pádraig is also a distant cousin of former NFL quarterback Joey Harrington.

Pádraig's first name, "Pádraig," is the Irish version of "Patrick." His four older brothers also have Irish names. His caddy since 2004 is Ronan Flood, who is married to Caroline's sister.

After school, Pádraig studied accounting while playing amateur golf. He became a certified accountant in 1994. He also had laser eye surgery to help his game.

Helping Others: Charity Work

In May 2010, Pádraig became a Global Ambassador for Special Olympics. This is the world's largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities. He has given golf lessons to Special Olympics athletes and coaches.

Pádraig has also supported the Irish charity Oesophageal Cancer Fund (OCF) since 2006. He lost his father to oesophageal cancer in 2005. He helps promote Lollipop Day, which raises money for oesophageal cancer research in Ireland. He also raises funds through The Pádraig Harrington Charitable Foundation. These funds help many people in Ireland and around the world.

Amateur Wins

• 1991 Sherry Cup
• 1994 West of Ireland Amateur Championship
• 1995 Irish Amateur Open Championship, Irish Amateur Close Championship
• Leinster Boys Championship

Major Championship Wins

Pádraig Harrington has won 3 major championships in his career.

Major Wins List

Year	Championship	Winning Score	Margin	Runner(s)-up
2007	The Open Championship	−7 (277)	Playoff	Sergio García
2008	The Open Championship (2)	+3 (283)	4 strokes	Ian Poulter
2008	PGA Championship	−3 (277)	2 strokes	Sergio García, Ben Curtis

Major Championship Performance Timeline

This table shows how Pádraig Harrington performed in major golf championships over the years.

     Win      Top 10      Did not play CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied for place
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary of Major Results

• Most consecutive cuts made – 8 (1999 Open Championship – 2001 Open Championship)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (2002 Masters – 2002 Open Championship)

Senior Major Championships

Pádraig Harrington has won 3 senior major championships.

Senior Major Wins List

Year	Championship	Winning Score	Margin	Runner-up
2022	U.S. Senior Open	−10 (274)	1 stroke	Steve Stricker
2025	U.S. Senior Open	–11 (269)	1 stroke	Stewart Cink
2025	The Senior Open Championship	−16 (264)	3 strokes	Thomas Bjørn, Justin Leonard

Senior Major Championship Performance Timeline

This table shows how Pádraig Harrington performed in senior major golf championships.

     Win      Top 10      Did not play

"T" indicates a tie for a place

Team Appearances

Pádraig Harrington has been a part of many important golf teams, both as an amateur and a professional.

Amateur Teams

• Jacques Léglise Trophy (Great Britain & Ireland): 1988 (winners), 1989 (winners)
• European Amateur Team Championship (Ireland): 1991, 1993, 1995
• Walker Cup (Great Britain & Ireland): 1991, 1993, 1995 (winners)
• European Youths' Team Championship (Ireland): 1992
• St Andrews Trophy (Great Britain and Ireland): 1992 (winners), 1994 (winners)

Professional Teams

• Alfred Dunhill Cup (Ireland): 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
• World Cup (Ireland): 1996, 1997 (winners), 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
• Ryder Cup (Europe): 1999, 2002 (winners), 2004 (winners), 2006 (winners), 2008, 2010 (winners), 2021 (non-playing captain)
  • His record in Ryder Cup matches: 25 matches played, 10.5 points earned.
• Seve Trophy (Great Britain & Ireland): 2000, 2002 (winners), 2003 (winners), 2005 (winners)

Awards and Honours

Pádraig Harrington has received many awards for his golf achievements.

International Awards

• 2006: European Tour Order of Merit (best player on the European Tour)
• 2007: European Tour Golfer of the Year, Association of Golf Writers Player of the Year
• 2008: PGA Player of the Year, PGA Tour Player of the Year, European Tour Golfer of the Year, Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) Player of the Year, Association of Golf Writers Player of the Year, European Tour Shot of the Year
• 2022: PGA Tour Champions Rookie of the Year

National Awards (Ireland)

• Texaco Ireland Sportstar Golf Award: 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004 (shared), 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
• RTÉ Sports Person of the Year: 2002, 2007, 2008
• Irish Golf Writers Professional of the Year Award: 2008

Images for kids

• 

  Harrington at the 2007 Open Championship

See also

In Spanish: Pádraig Harrington para niños