Harrington always had the belief

Padraig Harrington admits he would have found it impossible torecover if he had blown his chance of Open glory on an extraordinaryfinal day at Carnoustie.

Harrington led by a shot with one to play only to twice find theBarry Burn on the 72nd hole and run up a double bogey six.

That left Ryder Cup team-mate Sergio Garcia needing to par thesame hole to win, but the 27-year-old took a bogey five andHarrington won the subsequent four-hole play-off by a shot to claimhis first major title.

The 35-year-old Dubliner is only the second Irishman after FredDaly in 1947 to lift the Claret Jug.

"I never let myself think I had blown The Open," Harrington said.

"If I had lost I would have struggled to come back out and be aprofessional golfer.

"It meant that much to me.

"It would have been incredibly hard to take.

"If I'd lost I don't know what I'd think about playing golf again.

"But the 18th is the toughest finishing hole in golf.

"There's trouble everywhere you look. I knew it was going to betough for Sergio to make par. He did hit a lovely putt and I thoughthe had holed it."

Instead it caught the edge of the hole and stayed out, andHarrington made the most of his reprieve.

"It's going to take a long time for it to settle in. There was somuch going through my mind, some of it was genuine shock I had wonthe Open Championship," he added.

"It's going to mean a lot for Irish golf.

"We celebrate all our sporting achievements, we're a great countryfor anyone who does well. I'm very proud of the support I get athome.

"Far more people have more belief in me than I have in myself.

"It's important that I go and try to win another major rather thanfeeling this was the pinnacle."

"I'm going to celebrate but I've got other goals now to move onwith.

"I'm certainly going to enjoy this one for the future.

"Forever actually."

Harrington won the Irish PGA in a play-off last week and alsobecame the first home winner of the Irish Open in 25 years in a play-off in May.