Harrington defeats Romero in playoff

Ireland's Padraig Harrington clinched his first victory of the year Sunday, edging Argentina's Eduardo Romero at the second extra hole of sudden-death for the Dunhill Links Championship.

The 31-year-old Dubliner, who had to hole a birdie putt from 14 feet on the last hole of regulation play to force a two-way playoff, sank another from 12 feet at the par-four second to secure his first title since last year's season-ending Volvo Masters.

He and Romero, joint leaders overnight, had both closed with rounds of three-under-par 69 to finish at 19-under 269.

"I really played well, and hit the ball very well all day," said the Irishman, who was a member of Europe's triumphant Ryder Cup team at The Belfry last week.

"I lost a little bit of confidence in my putting during the round but then holed some great putts toward the end.

"One of the goals of the day for me was to stay patient. I knew I was beginning to run out of holes as I tried to catch Eduadro but I played 17 and 18 very well."

Romero, who led Harrington by a stroke until he bogeyed the par-five 14th, was denied the chance to become the European Tour's oldest winner aged 48 and 81 days.

Irishman Des Smyth retains that record, having clinched last year's Madeira Island Open at the age of 48 and 34 days.

Scotland's Colin Montgomerie equaled the course record of nine-under-par 63 Sunday to tie for third at 17-under 271 -- level with compatriot Sandy Lyle (68) and Vijay Singh (70).

A further stroke back in sixth was India's Jyoti Randhawa, who returned to competition only a month ago after breaking his collar bone in a motorcycle accident in March.

The Indian professional completed a successful week with a final-round 68 to earn the biggest check of his career.

Montgomerie, though, was the player most Scottish fans were monitoring as he charged through the field on the last day after finishing day three eight strokes off the pace.

The seven-times European number one, who had opened with rounds of 70, 69 and 69, got off to a fast start with birdies at the first two holes. He picked up further shots at the fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth to reach the turn in six-under-par 30.

Further birdies on 10 and 11 lifted him to 16 under overall and he gathered his 10th birdie of the day at the infamous Road Hole 17th where he hit a superb second shot to just four feet after pushing his drive into the right rough off the tee.

Set for a course-record 62, he dropped his only shot of the day at the par-four last, hitting a lob wedge approach from a poor lie into the Valley of Sin and having to settle for a record-equaling round of 63.

"I've had my disappointments here at St. Andrews and I've had my successes -- I'm just glad today was one of those successes," said Montgomerie.

"I was very fortunate at 17 because I pushed my drive but it's better being right off that tee, I always feel, than going left.

"It was unfortunate that I dropped a shot at the last, after finding a poor lie in a seeded divot for my second, but I'm not complaining about a 63. It's a good round."

The course record of 63 at St. Andrews was previously set at St. Andrews by defending champion Paul Lawrie in the third round of last year's event.

United States Ryder Cup captain Curtis Strange shot a 10-under-par 62 at St. Andrews during the 1987 Alfred Dunhill Cup team event, but the course has been lengthened since then.

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