Pádraig Harrington represented Ireland in the men’s individual golf stroke play tournament at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, finishing tied 21st – 13 shots behind gold medallist Justin Rose.

Golf was returning to the Olympic Games for the first time since 1904, and Harrington had played a role in advocating for its reinclusion. He said of the experience: “I’m an Olympian now and no one can ever take that away from me.”

Harrington grew up in Rathfarnham, Dublin, the youngest of five sons of Paddy Harrington – a Garda who played Gaelic football for Cork in the 1950s and was instrumental in founding Stackstown Golf Club, which became Pádraig’s golfing home. He attended Coláiste Éanna alongside future European Ryder Cup-winning captain Paul McGinley. He studied accounting, passing his ACCA exams in 1994 before turning professional in 1995 at 24.

He announced himself immediately, winning the Spanish Open in just his 10th professional event. He went on to win three major championships in the space of 13 months – The Open at Carnoustie in 2007, The Open at Royal Birkdale in 2008 (becoming the first European since 1906 to defend the title) and the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills weeks later – the first Irishman to win a major since Fred Daly in 1947. He represented Europe in six consecutive Ryder Cups between 1999 and 2010 and captained the side at Whistling Straits in 2021.

He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2024.