Q. You've come close to winning this championship in the past, second twice, once in a playoff. What does it mean to you to finally get your hands on that trophy?
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: You know, right now I'm just thrilled to have won the tournament and gone out there and played well. I think, yeah, that will seep in. I know you were talking about how I won The Open, to win the Senior Open, there's only five players, so you want to be in that category. I think they are the sort of things that you realise over the next couple of days, the significance of it.
Right now I'm thrilled, euphoric, that I've gotten it done.
Q. You built a four-shot, lead but then Thomas birdied four holes to get it down to two. What were you thinking as that was unfolding?
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I didn't know he did it. I never look at leaderboards. The only time I saw a leaderboard was on 18. I asked Ronan on 17 what was my lead, and never looked at a leaderboard. Was fully focussed on what I was doing.
Q. You've been telling us all week that you've been struggling with your swing and you weren't feeling particularly confident in it. How do you explain the fact that you've come through this and emerged as the champion?
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I think I really had a bad warmup, like really bad, again. And I just think when you go out like that, you just are prepared to get the job done with wherever the ball goes; you're going to hit the shot. You're going to get it. Your expectations go down.
I managed myself very well. I tried to swing the smoothest, slowest I could all day. Just tried to really swing within myself. Just try to tone it down and as I said just get around it. I happen to play quite well as it turned out. I didn't over think it when I was on the golf course. I hit some beautiful iron shots to start off.
So yeah, it worked very nicely but I was prepared for a fight to be honest, and I was surprised I probably played as well as I did, and I had a lot of nice chances all day.
I'm sure from the outside it looked very comfortable, but there was at times, there was a little bit of turmoil in my own head at times.
Q. As we mentioned you are just the fifth player to win the The Open and the Senior Open. It's a very historic thing to do. You've joined a great club.
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: As you get older, you realise a lot of things is legacy and what you've done and you want to win on a great golf course like Sunningdale. You want to do things that stand out, and having won a real Open, coming out, winning the Senior Open, it does give some -- it adds a validation. It's certainly satisfying to do it, to extent your career that way.
There are some great names on the trophy. I was watching it coming out last night. I was looking up inside at the board that has all the winners. It's a deep sense of satisfaction. I'm kind of on a high of winning, but then there will be that deep sense of satisfaction knowing that you've done both.
And especially you come to this stage, there's only a certain window. You know, you can win later on as a senior but the window, they say, sort of up to about 55, 56, so you want to get it done. And having had a couple of second places, I didn't want to leave it too long. It would start becoming a problem if you don't win it too soon, and I'm glad I got mine.
Q. An incredible feat, you become part of a small and exclusive club. Tell us how you're feeling as you clutch that trophy.
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I'm thrilled to have won but very satisfied that I've won a Senior Open with my two Opens. The fact that only five people have ever done it is quite special. I'm quite proud that I've managed to survive this long in the game.
Longevity, at this stage, I think we look for a lot of things about our legacy in the game. The fact that I'm only the fifth person to have done that double, that's pretty special.
Q. I want to talk to you about before you even made it to the first tee, I was watching you on the range for over an hour for a full bore, it was like you had a score to settle with your driver?
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I've been struggling this week. I've within really struggling with my coordination. I've been spinning out of it and just can't get my arms to keep up. Body was going too quick.
I was just trying to find a good mental thought for the golf course, which was fine on the golf course. Maybe the first shot I hit was nice. Second shot I hit was nice. Then started hit something really beautiful shots, and you know, just got into a nice rhythm. Slowed everything down and it seemed to work nicely.
Q. You mentioned earlier that you were not in the best place at times mentally. Was that before you got to the first?
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I was good mentally, really. My expectations were low. I was struggling with my driver. Everything else was pretty good. Struggling with my driver.
So you know, I think when you are struggling, your expectations go down and you can be better mentally and I certainly was excellent all day mentally, and to be honest, I hit it a lot better than I thought. I played a lot better than I thought. I'm sure from the outside, they looked pretty simple, and to be honest, most of the day, it was.
Q. From the outside looking in, it looked like you were just on cruise control. Did you ever allow yourself the moment to relax? I know you didn't look at a leaderboard today.
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I don't want to relax. That has cost me in the past. One of my worst traits is when I lost a Senior PGA a few weeks ago by relaxing. I get ahead of myself, and you know, sometimes when it's an easy shot, easy tee shot, I can lose focus.
So I want to stay hyped up. And to be honest, I think today, because I wasn't comfortable with my swing, I never let my guard down. I was always into it and focused all day, and yeah, I think that fear really does help me, and certainly, I'm not one for wanting to be relaxed out there because I don't think any of my best performances ever happened that way.
Q. You speak about fear. Did Porthcawl ever come into your mind at all?
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: No. But I've been reminded, I've had two second places and a fifth place. You start finishing in those positions, and all of a sudden, it becomes a bit of a million stone around your neck, if you know what I mean. You.
Want to get this win across the line early. You know, the golden age for winning on the Champions Tour is kind of up to about 55, 56. So didn't want to leave it a few more years or it would get tougher and tougher.
Q. I don't know if you're aware, a very friendly, familiar face was here at the golf course earlier today for about five holes and then he had to shoot because I think he got recognised a few times. Rory was here to offer his support.
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I didn't see him out there. Was he out there?
Q. He was not in a beard but incognito.
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I had the head down all day. I never saw anybody. I had no idea.
Q. How are you going to celebrate this incredible victory?
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: In style, I'm sure. Finish up these things and we'll start going at it.
Q. If I may, only two Irish man have won the Senior Open?
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: Christy, Jr., twice.
Q. And yourself.
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: And Darren Clarke. That's three.
Q. From the island of Ireland. How special to put your name alongside those guys, as well?
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: There's so many great names on the trophy. I really wanted to be up there. Having won The Open, and as well as Darren won The Open and the Senior Open, I'm only the fifth one to have done it.
So it really does make it special. And there is a window of opportunity, and it does close down, so it was important to do it, get across the line, and now I've done it. Hopefully, I don't think it's a monkey off my back, but it could have become one of those things.
So yeah, I'm thrilled to have won but very satisfied to have done the double.
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