Harrington has to settle for fourth

GOLF/ BellSouth Classic: Padraig Harrington had another Sunday he will long remember - but for very different reasons as he finished three shots behind the winner Zach Johnson in the BellSouth Classic yesterday.

Johnson fired a final round of 72 for a 13 under-par total of 275, two shots clear of Mark Hensby with Scott Hend third and Harrington fourth.

A week after playing the last 12 holes of the Players Championship in a spectacular eight under par and just missing out on victory Harrington went into the final round of the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta three behind and hoping for his first US Tour victory. The Irishman's first nine holes, however, were a mind-boggling mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly.

In a testing wind Harrington went to the turn in 38 with an eagle, two birdies, two pars, two bogeys and two double bogeys.

It all left him in joint fifth place and seven strokes behind his playing partner Johnson, who in just his 13th US Tour event moved three clear of Australian Hensby.

Harrington could not match Johnson's birdie at the long 10th, but hit his tee shot to six feet on the next and pitched to two feet at the 434-yard 12th, making both putts.

Johnson had not three-putted in the first 64 holes of the tournament, but he then did it twice in a row and with six to play he was 14 under, Hensby 12 under and Harrington joint third with another Australian, Peter Lonard, at 10 under.

Harrington put the pressure on more by driving the green at the 310-yard 13th, but on this occasion Johnson responded, pitching to within inches of the cup for a matching birdie three.

Up ahead Hensby bogeyed and Johnson's lead went to four strokes again with five to play, while Harrington stood joint second again.

Harrington just missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 15th, but he and Hensby were now only two behind as Johnson, bunkered in two, had his fourth bogey in five holes.

However, Harrington dropped a shot at the par three 16th and after a par at the 17th where he was through the green in two, he finished with a par four and fourth place with a 72 for 278.

Joint first round leader Jose Maria Olazabal was unable to get back into contention after a second round 77.