Pádraig Harrington has just missed out on a place at the Tour Championship despite a classy final-hole birdie at the Dubai Championship.
The Dubliner got up and down from a greenside bunker to birdie the 18th hole to have himself inside the qualifying number.
However, minutes later, Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond drained a 45-foot eagle on the same green to cost Harrington a place in the season-ending event.
His bogey-free 67 had him initially in 53rd spot in the Race to Dubai, with the top 54 set to make the grade - owing to a series of withdrawals.
A nearly day. A nice putt holed on the 18th for birdie looked good enough but things quickly changed and I moved from 53rd to 57th in the Race to Dubai. I’m on my holidays so. @EuropeanTour pic.twitter.com/UfJfzsBPJ4
— Padraig Harrington (@padraig_h) November 14, 2021
But his hopes of playing in the season-ending event for the first time in five years were wiped out when Janewattananond’s eagle dropped him to a five-way tie for eighth, four strokes behind winner, Denmark's Joachim Hansen.
A typically pragmatic Harrington, however, took the setback on the chin: “When I finished and I was fifth, it looked like I maybe had a chance at the Tour Championship.
"But it was just a step too far,” he admitted.
“The putt on the last gave me great comfort because I really really struggled all day on the greens.
Tentative
“I was very tentative. I was really struggling. But the putt on the last, because I really had to hole it, I got into it and holed it.
“I wish I could hit all putts like that. I need that sort of pressure. Do or die makes it a lot easier, but it’s disappointing.
“The last couple of weeks have been an eye-opener. Even the Ryder Cup was an eye-opener. I could see in my own game what I need to do.
“I could see what’s lacking and I know how to fix it. Whether I do it or not is up to me.”
Clandeboye’s Jonathan Caldwell finished 94th in the Race to Dubai after a closing 68 left him tied 55th this week on 11-under.
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