Harrington scorches to victory in record-low score

Padraig Harrington scorched to victory at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix with the all-time 72-hole scoring record, but outside hopes of taking the season-long Charles Schwab Cup were extinguished.

The three-time major winner concluded with a final-round 65 to finish top of the leaderboard on 27-under par, carding the lowest 72-hole aggregate of his professional career to break Tom Lehman's PGA Tour Champions 72-hole scoring record by a single shot.

The Dubliner needed Steven Alker, his final-round playing partner, to finish outside the top-five to take the Charles Schwab Cup, but the New Zealander was third overall on -19, eight shots behind Harrington with Germany's Alex Cejka the runner-up.

In winning his fourth title of the PGA Champions Tour season, Harrington claimed a winner's cheque of $440,000 to take his overall earnings on the seniors Tour to $3,564,424.

Yesterday's round of 62 was his lowest score on the Champions Tour, and began his round like a man chasing a record score, picking up three birdies in the first five holes.

For the fourth successive day, the 51-year-old old claimed birdie at the par-four 12th, while Alker's back-to-back bogeys at 12 and 13 seemed to open up the possibility of slipping down the leaderboard, but a birdie at 14 steadied the ship.

DRAINED FROM 65 FEET