Golf

Pádraig Harrington loses out to Alex Cejka in wet and windy Senior Open play-off

France’s Céline Boutier claims her first Major title with commanding victory in Amundi Evian Championship, while Leona Maguire finishes on one over

Pádraig Harrington plays from the rough on the ninth during day four of the 2023 Senior Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl on Sunday. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Wire
Pádraig Harrington plays from the rough on the ninth during day four of the 2023 Senior Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl on Sunday. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Wire
Sun Jul 30 2023 - 20:45

Pádraig Harrington suffered defeat on the second play-off hole as Alex Cejka held on to win the British Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl.

Cejka birdied the second extra hole to claim his third Senior Major title after he and Harrington had finished tied on five over par following a final round played in miserable wet and windy conditions.

Harrington, who also finished runner-up to Darren Clarke last year, narrowly missed an eagle putt on the first extra hole and could only make par when the players returned to the 18th after duffing a chip from the back of the green.

Overnight leader Cejka began the final round with a double bogey on the first and dropped another shot on the fourth, but battled back to hold a two-shot lead with two holes to play.

READ MORE

A bogey on the 17th halved the 52-year-old’s advantage and Harrington birdied the last to force extra holes.

“Wow, what a week. What a day,” Cejka said afterwards. “It’s incredible. I still can’t believe that I’m here. Beating Pádraig in a play-off, such a great player, but I’m glad I did it and I’m super happy.”

Cejka carded a final round of 76 and Harrington returned a 75, with YE Yang and Rob Labritz the only players able to match the par of 71.

Not a single player broke par over the weekend and the five-over total required for a place in the play-off was the same as the halfway cut. It was the highest winning score at the event since Bob Charles finished on seven over at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1993. Former world number one Vijay Singh finished two shots outside the play-off following a closing 77.

France’s Céline Boutier, meanwhile, delighted the home fans by claiming her first Major title with a commanding victory in the Amundi Evian Championship.

Boutier hit a final round of 69 at Évian-les-Bains to finish 14 under par and six shots clear of Canada’s Brooke Henderson, with five players sharing third place on seven under. Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh recorded her best result in a Major as a closing 69 left her in eighth place on six under.

Leona Maguire finished on one over after closing with a 75, while Stephanie Meadow was five shots further back.

[ British Open: Pádraig Harrington still resolute despite disappointing showing ]

“Honestly, it has been my biggest dream since I started watching golf,” Boutier said after becoming the first French winner of the event. “This tournament has always been very special to me, even just watching as a teenager and just to be able to hold this trophy is pretty unbelievable. I think nothing else matters this year now that I have this trophy.”

Boutier had never finished better than 29th in six previous appearances in her home Major, and praised the calming effect of her friends and family during the week.

“I feel they definitely helped me this week to stay grounded and keep my mind off golf away from the golf course,” the 29-year-old said. “It’s really sweet to be able to share it with them and I definitely wouldn’t be here without them.”

Boutier, who was showered in champagne by fellow players on the 18th green, took a three-shot lead into the final round and was never in danger of being caught after making three birdies in the first five holes.

“That was pretty unexpected,” the Solheim Cup ace said. “I definitely felt like I handled the first few holes really well. I had a good opportunity on one and the putt on two was definitely a bonus. It was not easy but the conditions were so tough I felt like it could go either way really fast, so I just tried to stay focused on each shot and each hole at a time because I felt it was pretty challenging with the wind.”