Padraig Harrington’s decision when he walked down the 18th fairway Sunday was whether to play a safe approach and take a chance with the Broadmoor’s curling, curving greens, or be aggressive and not leave the putting to chance.

He picked the second option, knocked his shot to 8 feet, and the only big decision over the next few minutes was whether he should wait for the man he beat by one, Stewart Cink, to putt out before he tapped in to claim his second U.S. Senior Open title.

Harrington came out on top in a major that felt more like match play, parlaying the approach into an easy two-putt par to seal his second title over the last four years in senior golf’s most prestigous event.

Harrington shot 3-under 67 to finish at 11-under 209, edging Cink, who shot 68, on their fourth straight round in the same group.

“Sometimes playing it safe is not the right option,” said Harrington, who recalled advice Hale Irwin gave him years back when Irwin suggested that, when in doubt, it’s always better to play the shot you’d play if you were losing by a stroke.

After watching Harrington’s shot, Cink — trailing by one and playing 30 yards in front of him on the fairway — had to be perfect.

But his approach landed on the precipice of a ledge, then spun backward toward the middle of the green. It was exactly the kind of result Harrington had been hoping to avoid moments earlier. Cink’s ball didn’t come to rest until it was 35 feet away and his desperation birdie try missed to the right.

With both players within tap-in range of pars that would close the tournament, there were some awkward pauses and laughter as Harrington marked from about 3 inches so Cink could putt out and the Irishman could be the last to tap in on 18.

“It kind of validates your career,” said Harrington, whose majors came at the 2007 British Open and PGA, then the ‘08 PGA. “It validates the past in a lot of ways. You’re reliving the past glories, hitting shots, waving at the crowds. People are coming out because they know you from the past.”

It doesn’t make losing any easier, though, and this was a heartbreaker for the 52-year-old Cink, whose major championship came at the 2009 British Open.

On a closing day that featured a basketball-like five lead changes and three ties, Cink had a pair of looks inside of 6 feet to even things on Nos. 16 and 17.

The one on 16 slid to the left, the one on 17 burned the edge and stayed right. Cink, who hit more greens over 72 holes than anyone (64) but downplayed the importance of that on this course, turned out to be right.

It really is putts that matter. Cink needed two more than Harrington on the fourth day of their showdown — the difference between winning and losing.

“It’s frustrating because I hit really good iron shots there to put myself in position to get up there and force Harrington to make a little bit more of a heroic finish than just pars,” Cink said. “But it wasn’t to be. I don’t know, that’s Broadmoor for you. I wish I could have those two putts over.”

Harrington finished with seven straight pars and added this to the U.S. Senior Open title he won in 2022.

Potgieter wins Rocket Classic in playoff

Aldrich Potgieter ended the protracted Rocket Classic, making an 18-foot birdie putt on the fifth playoff hole to outlast Max Greyserman for his first PGA Tour title on Sunday.

“I finally got one to the hole,” Potgieter said after missed opportunities on the green by three players led to the longest playoff of the season on the tour.

The 20-year-old Potgieter is the youngest player on the tour and its biggest hitter, averaging 326-plus yards off the tee. He became the ninth player to win for the first time this season.

Potgieter won the British Amateur at the age of 17 and became the youngest Korn Ferry Tour winner last year, paving the way for him to become the second-youngest player to earn a PGA Tour card through the minor league just after his 20th birthday. The youngest was Jason Day, who was 19 in 2007.

Chris Kirk was eliminated after missing a 4-foot putt on the second playoff hole — that after pushing a 9-foot putt past the cup on the first extra hole with a chance to win.

Greyserman and Potgieter each had opportunities to win end it on the 72nd hole at Detroit Golf Club, but couldn’t convert on birdie opportunities to break a tie at 22 under with Kirk.

South Korean duo win LPGA Dow Championship

Somi Lee poured in an 8-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to team with fellow South Korean Jin Hee Im to win the Dow Championship on Sunday, denying Lexi Thompson her first LPGA title in six years.

Thompson’s partner, Megan Khang, had a chance to extend the playoff, but she missed a 5-foot birdie putt that was on the low side of the hole from the start.

Thompson made an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-3 18th hole, with Khang still facing a 6-foot birdie attempt, as the American duo closed with a 10-under 60 in the fourballs format. They were the first to post at 20-under 260.

Lee made a 10-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead on the 17th. Im and Lee missed birdie chances on the 18th in regulation for the win.

The playoff switched to foursomes. Thompson hit the tee shot on the 18th to just 5 feet right of the cup. Im went nearer the pin but 8 feet long, setting up Lee for the winning putt.

Reed finally wins on LIV Golf tour in playoff

Patrick Reed lost the lead with a 3-over 75 and then atoned for it by making a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a four-man playoff Sunday to win LIV Golf Dallas, his first title since joining the Saudi-funded league in 2022.

Reed, who started the final round with a three-shot lead, fell behind late in the day at Maridoe Golf Club until Jinichiro Kozuma made bogey on the 18th hole and then made par on his final hole at No. 1 for a 68.

That got him into a playoff with Reed, Louis Oosthuizen (68) and Paul Casey (72).

On the first extra hole, Oosthuizen drove into the water and Casey took four shots to reach the green on the par-4 18th. Kozuma missed his 25-foot birdie try, setting the stage for Reed.

Reed said it was a relief to get his first win in his home state of Texas. He won the Hong Kong Open last year on the Asian Tour, but he had gone 0 for 41 on LIV Golf.