Padraig Harrington Shocks Golf World With Surprise 2025 Comeback Aim

Veteran Irish golf legend Padraig Harrington ushered in the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush on Thursday morning, ripping the tournament’s ceremonial first drive down the opening fairway under thick coastal cloud. Now 53, the three-time major champion finds himself back where his historic run of Irish dominance effectively began. Harrington’s back-to-back Open triumphs in 2007 and 2008, followed by his PGA Championship victory, ignited an era that has since delivered 11 men’s majors to the island of Ireland—including wins by Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke and Shane Lowry. –––––––––––––––––––––– Harrington’s Portrush mission: inspire, not merely survive –––––––––––––––––––––– Although bookmakers list the Dubliner as a longshot this week, Harrington insists his goals extend beyond the scorecard. “I still turn up believing I can win, but if my name on that starter’s roster pushes a young Irish kid to pick up a club, that’s the bigger victory,” he said during practice. Recent evidence backs the claim: he captured the U.S. Senior Open for a second time last month, proving his competitive edge remains intact. –––––––––––––––––––––– An Irish crowd, an Irish hero and a new generation watching –––––––––––––––––––––– Portrush’s grandstands were packed well before dawn, many fans sporting emerald-green jerseys and replicas of the Claret Jug. Local favourite Rory McIlroy tees off late Thursday, but countless spectators arrived early to salute Harrington—the man McIlroy credits for “getting the ball rolling” for Irish golf. The R&A projects an attendance of nearly 280,000 for championship week, repeating the record-setting scenes that greeted Lowry’s emotional home triumph here in 2019. –––––––––––––––––––––– Course knowledge and coastal grit could keep him relevant –––––––––––––––––––––– Royal Portrush has added 50 yards since Harrington last competed here in 2019, but the venue still rewards creativity and links experience—two pillars of his game. Forecasts call for gusts topping 25 mph over the weekend, conditions that historically compress leaderboards and magnify veteran savvy. Harrington’s low-piercing ball flight and legendary short-game imagination figure to counteract any distance deficit against the sport’s young power hitters. Key numbers entering the week • Majors: 3 (2007 Open, 2008 Open, 2008 PGA) • Senior majors: 2 (2022 & 2025 U.S. Senior Open) • Best finish at Portrush: T31 (2012 Irish Open) • World ranking: 201 (Official World Golf Ranking) –––––––––––––––––––––– Legacy already secure—but history still on the table –––––––––––––––––––––– Should Harrington contend, he would eclipse Tom Watson’s age-53 run at Turnberry in 2009 as the oldest player to win the Open. Even a top-10 would extend his record as the only golfer to post major top-10s in four different decades. Beyond the numbers, the symbolism of Ireland’s first modern major champion opening an Open on home soil is not lost on organisers—or on Harrington himself. “Portrush belongs to every golfer on this island,” he said, glancing toward the grandstands. “My job was just to show what’s possible.” Whether Harrington lifts another Claret Jug or simply soaks up the ovation walking up the famed 18th on Sunday, the echoes of that dawn tee shot will linger across the dunes—and, perhaps, within the dreams of the next Irish major winner already swinging in the rough grass beyond the ropes.