VIRGINIA WATER, England (PA) -- Padraig Harrington has joined three of his Irish golfing heroes in winning the Golf Writers' Trophy for 2007. The award is given to the outstanding golfer of the year as judged by a vote of the Association of Golf Writers.
The British Open champion, named last week as the European Tour's 2007 Golfer of the Year, adds his name to a roll of honor that includes compatriots Joe Carr in 1953, Harry Bradshaw in 1958 and Christy O'Connor in 1977.
Harrington claimed more than 75 percent of votes in the poll, with Order of Merit winner Justin Rose coming in second and Scotland's World Cup-winning pair of Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren third.
Other contenders were Suzann Pettersen, the first player from Norway ever to win a major championship; Spain's Pablo Martin, the first amateur to win on the modern European Tour; and Ireland's teenage sensation Rory McIlroy.
On an unforgettable final day at Carnoustie, Harrington came from six strokes behind Sergio Garcia, survived a double-bogey 6 at the 72nd hole when he was twice in the Barry Burn and then defeated the Spaniard in a four-hole playoff.
He became the second Irishman after Fred Daly 60 years ago to win the British Open and the first European since Paul Lawrie at the same venue in 1999 to win any major championship.
"I was thrilled to get the news that I had won the award,'' Harrington said. "It means a lot to find myself bracketed alongside such great former winners. The hardest part about winning something as big as the Open is probably motivating yourself to move on. The focus now is to move forward and not look back.
"Of course I've started thinking ahead to Royal Birkdale. In so far as it's possible, I'm going to make a point of setting about doing everything in the same way as I did last year, minus my visits to the Barry Burn," he added. "Technically, I still think that my swing is improving and I'm changing to playing with a fade rather than a draw.''
Two days before the Open, Harrington helped to present the Association's Outstanding Services award to Bob Torrance and gave a wonderful tribute to his veteran coach. Next July at Birkdale he will be the one on the receiving end.
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