Padraig Harrington was born in Dublin and started playing golf when his father was working on a golf course. As a youngster, he often participated in teenage competitions, and practised by playing his relatives, and although there were some bitter disappointments, Harrington played on the Great Britain & Ireland Boys Team and knew some great successes as well.

He turned professional in 1995, after winning the amateur Walker Cup. That same year he collected a huge amount of prestigious titles, such as winning the Irish Open and in 1999 he represented Europe at the Ryder Cup. In 2002 he was ranked 6th in the world.

It is Padraig’s mix of gritty determination and pure talent that have made him the player he is today. He is consistently referred to as the best player in Europe, and continues to rival the best names in international golf.

Read on for more facts about Padraig Harrington!

Facts about Harrington’s career

• A year of both disappointment and joy came in 1994 when Padraig suffered a number of anti-climatic losses, notably twice at the South of Ireland and Irish Close Championships to David Higgins.
  

• However, it was this same year that at the age of 21, Harrington won his very first senior title at the West of Ireland Championship.
  

• This year, he beat Sergio Garcia and secured the 2007 Open Championship.

• Padraig Harrington doesn’t drink alcohol

• He is the first Irishman to have won a golf major

• He has a degree in accounting from the Dublin Business School