Ireland's Padraig Harrington claims first PGA title since 2008 with Honda Classic triumph

Irishman Harrington, a triple major winner, triumphed with a par at the second extra hole as rookie American Daniel Berger found the water guarding the green on route to a double bogey.

It is Harrington first taste of success on the PGA Tour in 119 events since winning the 2008 PGA Championship.

“Hopefully this isn’t an isolated win,” said Harrington, 43, who won $1,098,000 (£714,611).

“I really do believe in myself. I think I’ve found that mental edge that I’ve been lacking the last number of years.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to stick with that going forward and be consistently contending because I know if I am contending I can win.

“When I get in contention I can hit the shots. The problem has been actually when I’m starting the week, middle of the road shots, easy shots, I’m just not hitting them.

“When I’ve got tough shots I can hit them.”

It was a fitting place to end his run because his victory here in 2005 was his first on the PGA after becoming a member.

The Irishman needed a birdie on the last to secure his place in the play-off with a 70 after a double bogey on 17 had given Berger the outright lead.

And after both men claimed routine pars on 18 in the play-off, Harrington hit his tee shot close and two-putted on 17 while Berger recorded a double-bogey five.

The victory, which also hands Harrington a place at the Masters next month and sees his world ranking jump from 297 to 82, is his first on a major worldwide tour since his triumph at the since the 2008 US PGA Championship at Oakland Hills with his past two wins coming on the Asian Tour.

After slumping to World No. 385 during last year, Harrington, now ranked 82nd, had some timely advice for injury-hit and struggling Woods who is seven places higher on the rankings but heading in the opposite direction to Harrington.

“Normally you would be very happy to be seven spots behind Tiger but then at least I am go up the rankings and let’s hope he can, and the two of us can start moving upwards,” said Harrington.

“I can guarantee it that it was a big help to me Retief Goosen playing that well last week in L.A, to see players like Tiger and Retief who I have played so much against over the years doing well as Retief is 46 and Tiger’s in his 40th year.

“I hope when Tiger sees players that he also competed against for so long doing well, including myself winning today, then it will help turnaround his game so that he might say: “Oh yes, I’ve won against those guys before, so maybe I can still win out here”.

“So there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is a positive thing when you see you peers doing well and it’s not just some 20-year old kid who hits is miles and you say to yourself ‘Hell, how am I ever going to compete.”

Scotland’s Russell Knox shared third place and just one shot out of the play-off in posting a final round two under par 68 for five under par tally and tied with England pair of Paul Casey (68) and Ian Poulter (74).

Casey had led overnight but it was Poulter who threw away a first PGA Tour victory on US soil by finding the water on five different occasions over the last 18, including taking a double bogey at 11 and a triple bogey at 14 before ending like Knox with two birdies.