Hong Kong, Dec 08: Padraig Harrington sinks long birdie putt to win the Hong Kong Open. Ireland's Padraig Harrington clinched a nail-biting one-shot victory at the Hong Kong Open with two birdies in the last two holes on Sunday (December 7). The world number 10 drew level with leader Hennie Otto of South Africa at the penultimate hole before snatching victory with a 20-foot putt at the last in the opening leg of the 2004 European Tour season. "I got very aggressive at the 16th when I realised Otto was in front by one stroke. It was all or nothing at that stage," said Harrington, who finished with a four-under-par 66 and an 11-under-par total of 269. He won $113,000. Harrington became the first person to win successive opening events on the European Tour after winning the BMW Asian Open in Taiwan last year.
"A lot of people expected me to win. I'm absolutely thrilled to do just that," said the Irishman, who began the day one shot behind leader Christopher Hanell of Sweden.



Harrington collected three birdies on the front nine to go 10 under but at the par four 10th hole he lost his ball in the woods after a wayward tee shot. Penalised one shot, he recovered well to limit the damage to a bogey.



Otto, meanwhile, made a late charge, birdieing three of the last four holes to nose ahead before Harrington's remarkable finish.


Bureau Report