Golfers head in different directions

SOUTHPORT, England - Padraig Harrington and Greg Norman strolled away from the 18th green at Royal Birkdale, all even at two major championships apiece.

Then, they headed off in different directions.

Harrington had to reclaim the claret jug and ponder his growing stature within the sport. He's gone back-to-back in the British Open, but doesn't intend to stop there.

''I didn't realize I'd get another major so quickly,'' the Irishman said Sunday evening, savoring a fourstroke victory in golf's oldest championship.

But, he was quick to add, ''I WAS confident it would happen again.''

Norman never saw this one coming. At 53, he got an improbable chance to rekindle the glory that supposedly passed him by years ago. Now, he can get back to his honeymoon with tennis great Chris Evert and return to being a part-time hacker.

Of course, it sure would have been nice to rewrite the ending to his underachieving legacy.

''I can walk away from here being disappointed,'' Norman said, having shot a 7-over 77 to toss away a two-shot lead in the final round. ''But I can walk away from here with my head held high.''

While Norman was fading away, Harrington smashed a pair of fairway metals into the par 5s that carried him to a 32 on the back nine of blustery Royal Birkdale and made him Europe's first player in more than a century to win the Open two years in a row.

''Obviously, winning a major puts you in a special club,'' said Harrington, who closed like a champion with a 69 to win by four shots over Ian Poulter, with Norman another stroke back. ''Winning two of them puts you in a new club altogether.''

Harrington moved up to No. 3 in the world rankings, his highest spot, trailing only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. It's lofty company, but he doesn't feel out of place.

One of the hardest workers on tour, he's crafted a schedule that focuses mainly on the majors. He'd like to contend in half of those each 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 us mere mortals.''

By mere mortals, Harrington was referring to everyone not named Tiger. Woods, who sat out the Open to recover from knee surgery, is in a league of his own. But the likable Irishman is sure feeling more confident about his place in the second flight.

''I've matured as a player,'' Harrington said. ''I trust my game more, and I definitely have more confidence in my swing.''

Playing in the final group with Norman, Harrington certainly understood the significance of what the Shark was trying to accomplish. He won the Open twice in his prime, at Turnberry in 1986 and Royal St. George's in '93, but it had been a decade since his last victory. He would have easily been the oldest major winner, besting the record set by 48- year-old Julius Boros at the 1968 PGA Championship.