Harrington learning to his cost

PADRAIG HARRINGTON is acquiring an unwelcome habit of shooting high numbers on the PGA European Tour - and it is becoming expensive. After recording an eight over par 13 at The Oxfordshire's 17th during the Benson and Hedges International last month, he had his second eight in successive weeks in yesterday's final round of the Slaley Hall Northumberland Challenge.

The four shots he squandered at the semi dog leg third cost him the chance of finishing in the top four behind South African Retief Goosen, who joined Harrington among the seven new champions on the Tour this year by scoring a two stroke victory over Scot Ross Drummond, who charged to a record 65.

Goosen, who had led from the start, finished on 11 under par 277 to collect the new £50,000 title, with Londoner Robert Lee third on a seven under par.

That is where Harrington might well have alighted to win over £16,000, instead of the £6,070 he took for a share of ninth place after his 72 for 285, had he parred the third. This hole required an accurate approach to a narrow, raised green, but the Spanish Open champion was too strong with his approach and deposited his ball in a rhododendron bush.

After dropping under penalty he was still in the foliage and needed two chips to reach the green. It was agonisingly similar to his eight at the Forest of Arden's seventh the previous week, and to Harrington's credit he fought back strongly.

Birdies at the fourth and seventh limited the outward damage, then he came home in 33 with further strikes at the 12th, 14th and 15th to be round in par. But high numbers in professional golf mean low wages, and Harrington knows it is a habit of which he must rid himself as quickly as possible.

"It would have been better for me to replay the shot from the fairway," he admitted, "but I did not think so at the time.

"I will play in this week's BMW Open, but then I will probably take the French Open off to practice," he said. "I am coming over the top on the tee and I need to work on my swing. It gets difficult when you are not confident on the tee."

Paul McGinley was joint 12th after a 69 for 286 to win £4,644. The Dubliner began the last round four shots behind Harrington but after the latter's fall from grace at the third, ended just one adrift. For that he had mostly to thank a five wood second shot of 220 yards at the fourth which all but brought him an albatross two at the 518 yard, downhill par five.

His ball zeroed on to the flag and trickled over the hole, leaving him an eagle putt of 12 inches. It more than made up for the three Potts on the previous green which had undone the good work at the first, where he hit an eight iron to eight feet and sank the birdie putt.

McGinley got down from 25 feet to birdie the seventh and turned in 33, but he was again unable to maintain progress on the inward half. His only variations from par came at the short 14th, where he missed the green, and the 15th, where he got back the lost shot by hitting his pitch to six feet.

Nevertheless, despite his dislike of the course he had improved each day and his two under par return earned took his prize money into six figures for the fourth year running.

The Dubliner will rest from this week's BMW Open in Munich, and return for the French Open in Paris where he was runner up after a play off with Costantino Rocca in 1993.

For Drummond who had an eagle and four birdies in an outward 31. it was a career best performance.

He had finished fourth on four previous occasions in his 19 years on the circuit, the most recent being in the Benson and Hedges.

In addition to his runners up cheque of over £33,000. he also won the £3,000 Johnnie Walker course record award.

Waterville's David Higgins had 74 for 294 to finish 49th and win £1,410.