‘Cocky’ Padraig Harrington vents after Angel Cabrera defeat

Ask Padraig Harrington the key reason why he lost the Senior PGA Championship title to Angel Cabrera and his answer might surprise you.

“You know, I’ve had a lifelong problem with getting confident and cocky,” a dejected Harrington said, “and I did on the 15th tee box. It was such a simple tee shot.

“Five-wood, a little draw down there, and I just totally didn’t get into it enough and then panicked at the last moment and hit a big hook.”

Indeed, after going seven-under-par through 14 holes to lead Cabrera by two shots at Congressional, Harrington carved his tee shot into the heavy rough and wound up with a disastrous double bogey.

And despite being in the heat of battle on a tight leaderboard, it was overconfidence that ultimately proved the three-time major champion’s undoing.

“It’s always plagued me my whole life since I’ve been a kid,” he added.

“If you start off with doubt, when you feel doubt over the ball, it doesn’t feel so bad. If you start off confident, then you feel doubt. It’s like a blow-up. So, yeah, so I was just too confident. Happens.”

Opportunities came and went in his final three holes, but Harrington went on to three-putt on the 18th green to sign for a 68.

Agonisingly, as Harrington spoke to reporters afterwards, he watched Cabrera take three putts of his own on the final hole which meant he finished only one shot shy.

“I’d just really like him two-putt – and he’s not,” Harrington sighed.

Cabrera’s victory at Congressional was his second senior major in just six days.

The disgraced former Masters and US Open champion won the weather-delayed Regions Tradition tournament in Alabama on Monday and is now the form player on the Champions Tour.

The Argentine recently served a 30-month sentence in South American prisons after being convicted of multiple counts of assault, intimidation and threatening behaviour towards multiple former partners.

After winning this tournament, Cabrera will now be eligible to play in the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink.

He already has a lifetime exemption to play in the Masters as past champion.