Padraig Harrington made history on Sunday after winning the U.S. Senior Open for the third time, matching the tournament record with another impressive display at Scioto Country Club in Ohio.
The 54-year-old finished the championship at 12-under par after closing with a brilliant four-under 66. His strong weekend, which included back-to-back rounds of 66, helped him secure a four-shot victory.
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The win also made Harrington only the fourth player to successfully defend the U.S. Senior Open title. He now shares the record for the most victories in the event with Miller Barber, who won the championship three times in the 1980s.
History in Ohio!
Padraig Harrington becomes only the fourth player to defend his U.S. Senior Open title 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ucx5WBwne3
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) July 5, 2026
Harrington Took Control Early in Final Round
Stewart Cink started the final round with a one-shot lead, but Harrington wasted little time changing the leaderboard. He made a 15-foot birdie putt on the opening hole to draw level with Cink. On the second hole, Harrington hit his approach shot within three feet and made another birdie, while Cink dropped a shot with a bogey. That quick turnaround gave Harrington a two-shot lead after just two holes.
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Cink briefly reduced the gap with a birdie on the seventh after Harrington made his only bogey of the day on the sixth. The turning point came at the eighth hole. Cink’s tee shot rolled into a creek, leading to another bogey. Harrington then drained a long birdie putt from about 30 feet to stretch his lead even further.
Simply the best!@padraig_h has his third U.S. Senior Open championship! pic.twitter.com/pvjWhLI1ZT
— USGA (@USGA) July 5, 2026
Harrington stayed in control from there and added more birdies during the back nine, including his fifth of the day at the 11th hole, to move five shots clear. He safely finished with a closing 66 to seal another memorable victory.
Record-Tying Win Adds to Harrington’s Legacy
Cink finished second at eight-under after a final-round 71, marking the second straight U.S. Senior Open in which he finished runner-up to Harrington. The victory was Harrington’s fourth senior major title. Along with his three U.S. Senior Open crowns in 2022, 2025, and 2026, he also won the Senior Open Championship last year.
“I like creating records, and to be part of that is a big deal. It just shows how hard it is,” Harrington said. “I’m seeing guys coming along, and I’m kind of realizing there is only a window to win these tournaments. But I was thinking and feeling that way, that you only have a set period to get your major wins on the Senior Tour because not that you’re getting older but new guys are coming in.”
Harrington won the Open Championship in 2007 and 2008. He also won the PGA Championship in 2008, completing one of the finest periods of his career.
Padraig Harrington’s latest victory further cements his status as one of the most successful players in senior golf and adds another milestone to an already distinguished career.
Man Photo Credit: © Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
