Padraig Harrington gets Open under way at Royal Portrush

Harrington gets emotional as he opens The Open with birdie at Royal Portrush

Padraig Harrington hit the first tee shot of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush and admits he was more emotional than he has ever been on a golf course

Padraig Harrington gets Open under way at Royal Portrush

The 53-year-old, who won back-to-back Claret Jugs in 2007 and 2008, started with a birdie.

See Darren Clarke, Tom McKibbin, Shane Lowry, Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Padraig Harrington

Today some of the world’s top golfers battled the Portrush weather to take part in day one of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush, County Antrim.

'I expected the nerves, but I didn't expect that' - Harrington emotional as he officially gets Open underway

The 53-year-old, who won back-to-back Claret Jugs in 2007 and 2008, started with a birdie.

Harrington makes light of first tee nerves - Irish Golfer Magazine

Mark McGowan at Royal Portrush It must’ve seemed like the longest three minutes of his life, but that’s how much time elapsed between Pádraig Harrington teeing his ball up and eventually being free to pull the trigger after the rapturous applause had died down following the two-time Claret Jug winner’s “on the tee” announcement. It may have been just after 6:30 am, but there wasn’t a spare seat to be found in the first tee grandstand, and there …

Four long shots to win British Open at Royal Portrush

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