Padraig Harrington believes he can use his second British Open victory as a platform to go on and become a serial winner of golf's major tournaments.

As he savoured the steely final round performance that enabled him to walk down the 72nd hole at Royal Birkdale four shots clear of the field, the Irishman outlined his priorities for what remains of a career that has already established him as one of the most successful sportsmen his country has produced.

"Obviously winning a major puts you in a special club — winning two of them puts you in a new club altogether," he said.

"The goal now is to keep getting into contention in majors, keep hanging around. The majors are what it's all about for me.

"I set my schedule out this year for the four majors and the Ryder Cup, I was trying to peak for those weeks.

"I got myself vaguely into contention at the Masters, it didn't happen for me at the US Open but it did here. If I can get 50 percent hit rate of getting into contention that is two a year. Then all you need to do is maybe hit one out of four of those and you're winning one every second year.

"That's a pretty high rate for most of us mere mortals."

Having started his final round two shots behind Greg Norman, Harrington ended up cruising to victory thanks to a final round 69 in which he played the last four holes in three under par, effectively sealing his victory with the two strikes of his five wood that set him up for an eagle at the 17th.

The manner of the victory, he said, was testimony to the way he has kept driving himself to get better.

"I'm maturing as a player and as a person," he said. "My golf game is improving all the time, and I need it to be. If I was standing still I would lose interest.

"You need that feeling in order to get up every morning, to get in the gym, do the boring stuff and not eat that extra piece of pudding.

"Days like this make it all worthwhile. I really felt good out there, I hit the ball probably every bit as solid as I've ever hit it."

Harrington's triumph came at the end of a week that started with him contemplating pulling out of the Open with a wrist injury.

Looking back, he believes the injury actually did him a huge favour by taking the pressure off him — it resulted in the bookmakers lengthening the odds on him winning to 50-1 — and also ensuring he was well rested ahead of what was a gruelling four days in terrible weather conditions.

"There is no question it took a lot of pressure and stress off me. It was a good distraction to have," he said.

"And another plus was the fact that I only played nine holes in practice, and everybody will tell you this has been physically a tough and mentally the toughest week we could ever have in golf.

"The fact that I didn't play three practice rounds like normal for a major was a big bonus. I was very fresh going into the weekend, and these 36 holes were a real battle. The wrist injury was a saver for me, really."

Harrington's win made him the first British or Irish player to win back-to-back Opens since Scotland's James Braid in 1906.

His three-over total of 283 for four rounds played in some of the toughest conditions in Open history, left him four shots clear of Ian Poulter, who briefly shared the lead on the back nine.

Norman's dream of becoming the oldest winner of a major had died long before Harrington's eagle on the 17th ensured his named would be engraved for a second time on the Old Claret Jug, the Australian graciously conceding defeat after a final round 77.

"I'm disappointed for sure but at the end of the day, Padraig did a tremendous job and he is a deserving champion," Norman said.

The 53-year-old had to settle for a share of third place with Henrik Stenson (71), a shot ahead of American Jim Furyk (71) and Chris Wood, 20-year-old English amateur who evoked memories of Justin Rose's 4th-place finish at Birkdale ten years ago.

Harrington's win also ensured he will be in Europe's Ryder Cup team in September and that he will rise to number three in the world.

AFP