COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Padraig Harrington’s first two U.S. Senior Open titles weren’t decided until the final hole.
His record-tying third had no drama by the time he reached the back nine on Sunday.
Harrington became the fourth golfer to defend his U.S. Senior Open title, shooting a final-round 66 to win by four shots at Scioto Country Club.
The 54-year-old Irishman also joined Miller Barber as the only three-time winners in the tournament’s 46-year history.
“I like creating records, and to be part of that is a big deal. It just shows how hard it is,” Harrington said after capturing his fourth senior major. “I’m seeing guys coming along, and I’m kind of realizing there is only a window to win these tournaments. They have told me and other players that it’s kind of up to about 56-57, then it starts going downhill quickly.
“But I was thinking and feeling that way, that you only have a set period to get your major wins on the Senior Tour because not that you’re getting older but new guys are coming in.”
Harrington also joins Barber (1985), Gary Player (1988), and Allen Doyle (2006) as the only golfers to win the U.S. Senior Open back-to-back.
Harrington — who finished at 12-under 268 — birdied the first two holes and had four birdies with only one bogey. Third-round leader Stewart Cink was runner-up for the second straight year. Cink bogeyed two of the first three holes and struggled with accuracy most of the day, shooting 71 and finishing at 8-under 272.
“It feels great, but there wasn’t the drama we normally provide down the stretch,” said Harrington, who won by one shot in 2022 and ’25. “I knew I had a nice lead, which let me play to the middle of the greens and hit the shots. I hit some big shots coming home to take all the stress out of it.”
It is Harrington’s 12th career PGA Tour Champions victory and his first since last July’s Senior British Open.
George McNeill — the other player in the Harrington-Cink grouping — shot a 71 and finished with a 6-under 274. Ian Poulter (67) was fourth at 5-under 275 while Retief Goosen (67), Jamie Donaldson (68) and Paul Stankowski (69) were at 4-under 276.
Cink hit only 2 of 7 fairways on the front nine, ending his chances of becoming the first player to win the first three senior majors in a year.
“It’s always fun going down the stretch with a lot on the line. Today, I played poorly enough that there was no championship on the line, but I was still battling hard for second,” he said. “It’s been a while since I had a day like that where start to finish it felt difficult, but today it did, and my scorecard tells the story."
Cink had a one-shot lead after 54 holes, but Harrington took the lead with a five-shot swing on the first three holes. It was the second straight round to start early to beat the weather.
Harrington made a 15-foot putt on the par-4 first to tie Cink. He then took a two-shot lead when his second shot on the No. 2 par-4 landed within 3 feet of the cup for an easy birdie while Cink bogeyed.
Cink got within two with a birdie on the par-4 seventh after Harrington bogeyed the No. 6 par-5.
The momentum shifted back to Harrington on the par-4 eighth. Cink chose driver off the tee, but it landed hot on the left side of the fairway, took a couple of hard bounces, and rolled into the creek on the right-hand side of the fairway.
Cink ended up with a bogey while Harrington sank a 30-foot birdie putt to double his advantage.
“That one was definitely kind of a crusher there. I finally straightened the tee ball out after I hadn’t hit very many good tee balls, and boom, I hit a great one, and it cost me a penalty shot. And then Padraig makes the putt,” Cink said. “We are so in the present that we don’t always feel those momentum shifts, but looking back, I’m sure it probably did.”
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Padraig Harrington eyes his putt for par on the 18th hole during the final round of the U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, on July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Joe Reedy)
Padraig Harrington salutes the crowd after finishing his round with a 4-under 66 during the final round of the U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, on July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Joe Reedy)
Padraig Harrington lifts up the Francis D. Ouimet Memorial Trophy after winning the U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, on July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Joe Reedy)
SEATTLE (AP) — Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban was surprisingly suspended by FIFA, clearing the American forward to play in the team’s World Cup round of 16 match against Belgium, a decision that was praised by U.S. President Donald Trump and prompted outrage from the Red Devils.
Balogun, the American leader with three goals, received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemović of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 2-0 round of 32 win on Wednesday.
A red card triggers an automatic one-game suspension but American players learned of Balogun's availability when social media posts started popping up during the 10-minute bus ride Sunday from their hotel to training at the University of Washington's Husky Soccer Stadium.
“I think a lot of us thought it was AI at first,'” defender Chris Richards said. “We weren’t sure if it was true or not.”
Trump praised FIFA’s decision. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has repeatedly made efforts to grow close to Trump, even awarding him a FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw.
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump said in a social media post.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “astonished.”
“The decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations,” it said in a statement. “In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options.”
Balogun’s red card and suspension for the round of 16 match had been one of the most controversial and consequential decisions of the World Cup.
“If you look at the foul, it was just zero intent at all,” U.S. star Christian Pulisic said. “I felt like there was much worse ones that went on this tournament.”
The U.S. Soccer Federation learned of the decision in a message sent by FIFA in its portal at 10:31 a.m. EDT.
“The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” FIFA announced. “If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
Balogun's three goals included one to give the U.S. the lead against Bosnia. He has matched Landon Donovan in 2010 for the second-most goals by an American in a World Cup, behind only Bert Patenaude’s four in the initial tournament in 1930.
A 25-year-old who plays for Monaco, Balogun scored 13 Ligue 1 goals last season. He has 12 goals in 30 international appearances. He was born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents who were living in London and in 2023 opted to change his national team affiliation from England, which he had represented at the under-21 level.
“He strikes fear into a lot of defenders,” Richards said.
The host U.S. is seeking to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. The Americans lost in the round of 16 to Ghana in 2010, Belgium in 2014 and the Netherlands in 2022. They failed to advance from the group stage in 2006 and didn’t qualify for the 2018 tournament.
The USSF said it will not make Balogun available for comment Sunday, but Balogun posted on social media a picture of himself in front of U.S. fans and overlaid with music of Michael Jackson's pop single “Bad.”
On Friday, Balogun said he thought a yellow card instead of red “would have been fair."
FIFA said its decision relied on Article 27 of disciplinary committee rules.
"The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure. By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years," the rule states.
FIFA in November deferred the final two games of a three-match ban for Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo for a red card against Ireland in a World Cup qualifier, allowing him to play at the start of the World Cup.
Argentine defender Nicolás Otamendi and Ecuadoran midfielder Moisés Caicedo in April had one-game bans deferred for red cards in qualifiers, also allowing them to be available for World Cup openers.
Brazil’s Garrincha was ejected from a 1962 semifinal but allowed to play in the final against Chile after political pressure.
AP Soccer Writer James Robson and AP Sports Writer Jim Vertuno contributed to this report.
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
United States' Folarin Balogun (20) and Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic (4) react after Balogun fouled Muharemovic during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Balogun received a red card on the play. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic (4) reacts after a tackle form United States' Folarin Balogun (20) during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
United States' Folarin Balogun (20) fouls Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic (4) during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Balogun received a red card on the play. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Referee Raphael Claus of Brazil shows a red card to United States' Folarin Balogun, right, during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
United States' Folarin Balogun (20) fouls Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic (4), resulting in a red card go Balogun, during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
United States' Folarin Balogun (20) walks off the field after receiving a red card during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
