Emmet Riordansays Pádraig Harrington's remarkable feat has elevated him to the top ranks of golfing history

THE LADYBIRDS of Rathmichael may soon be able to claim squatters' rights on the Claret Jug, but Pádraig Harrington was right in saying his second British Open Championship win puts him into exalted company.

Harrington becomes the 25th player to hold more than one gold medal in the 148 years of golf's most coveted Major.

He joins final-round playing partner Greg Norman, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer of the modern era and the 19th century duo of Willie Park Jnr and Bob Martin on two titles.

Harrington's next target will be the stellar group with three Claret Jugs to their name. Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player represent the modern era, while Henry Cotton and Bobby Jones also claimed the title three times. Scots James Anderson and Bob Ferguson won three-in-a-row in the 19th century.

Three of the game's pioneers won four titles, including Old and Young Tom Morris and Willie Park Snr, who won the inaugural tournament at Prestwick in 1860. Walter Hagen became the first American-born winner in 1922, and he would go on to win four titles in that decade.

South African legend Bobby Locke also won four times between 1949 and 1957.

Four players have taken the title five times. Tom Watson included Carnoustie and Birkdale in his handful, while Peter Thompson claimed a hat-trick of crowns from 1954. The Australian went close to five titles in-a-row, coming second to his great rival Locke at St Andrews in 1957, before taking the title at Lytham in 1958, where Christy O'Connor Snr finished in a tie for third spot.

The other two players with five titles are part of golf's great triumvirate, who annexed 16 titles between them from 1894 to 1914 when the British Open stopped due to the first World War.

JH Taylor and James Braid included back-to-back wins, with Harrington the first European player to achieve the feat since Braid at Muirfield in 1906.

Harry Vardon stands alone at the top of the list, the final member of the triumvirate, whose six titles were won between 1896 and the final pre-war tournament at Prestwick in 1914, where he pipped Taylor by three shots.

Just like Harrington, he had trailed the leader by two going into the final round.

Multiple British Open winners

Six

Harry Vardon (Eng)

1896 (Muirfield)

1898 (Prestwick)

1899 (Royal St George's)

1903 (Prestwick)

1911 (Royal St George's)

1914 (Prestwick)

Five

JH Taylor (Eng)

1894 (Royal St George's)

1895 (St Andrews)

1900 (St Andrews)

1909 (Royal Cinque Ports)

1913 (Hoylake)

James Braid (Sco)

1901 (Muirfield)

1905 (St Andrews)

1906 (Muirfield)

1908 (Prestwick)

1910 (St Andrews)

Peter Thompson (Aus)

1954 (Birkdale)

1955 (St Andrews)

1956 (Hoylake)

1958 (Lytham)

1965 (Birkdale)

Tom Watson (US)

1975 (Carnoustie)

1977 (Turnberry)

1980 (Muirfield)

1982 (Troon)

1983 (Birkdale)

Four

Willie Park Snr (Sco)

1860, 1863, 1866, 1875 (All Prestwick)

Tom Morris Snr (Sco)

1861, 1862, 1864, 1867 (All Prestwick)

Tom Morris Jnr (Sco)

1868, 1869, 1870, 1872 (All Prestwick). Won four-in-a-row as no Open was held in 1871.

Walter Hagen (US)

1922 (Royal St George's)

1924 (Hoylake)

1928 (Royal St George's)

1929 (Muirfield)

Bobby Locke (Rsa)

1949 (Royal St George's)

1950 (Troon)

1952 (Lytham)

1957 (St Andrews)

Three

Jamie Anderson (Sco)

1877 (Musselburgh)

1878 (Prestwick)

1879 (St Andrews)

Bob Ferguson (Sco)

1880 (Musselburgh)

1881 (Prestwick)

1882 (St Andrews)

Bobby Jones (US)

1926 (Lytham)

1927 (St Andrews)

1930 (Hoylake)

Henry Cotton (Eng)

1934 (Royal St George's)

1937 (Carnoustie)

1948 (Muirfield)

Gary Player (Rsa)

1959 (Muirfield)

1968 (Carnoustie)

1974 (Lytham)

Jack Nicklaus (US)

1966 (Muirfield)

1970 (St Andrews)

1978 (St Andrews)

Seve Ballesteros (Spa)

1979 (Lytham)

1984 (St Andrews)

1988 (Lytham)

Nick Faldo (Eng)

1987 (Muirfield)

1990 (St Andrews)

1992 (Muirfield)

Tiger Woods (US)

2000 (St Andrews)

2005 (St Andrews)

2006 (Hoylake)

Two

Bob Martin (Sco)

1876, 1885 (both St Andrews).

Willie Park Jnr (Sco)

1887 (Prestwick)

1889 (Musselburgh)

Arnold Palmer (US)

1961 (Birkdale)

1962 (Troon)

Lee Trevino (US)

1971 (Birkdale)

1972 (Muirfield)

Greg Norman (Aus)

1986 (Turnberry)

1993 (Royal St George's)

Pádraig Harrington (Ire)

2007 (Carnoustie)

2008 (Birkdale)