Australian Richard Green stormed home with a seven-under-par final round of 64 to secure a tie for fourth in the British Open behind Irishman Padraig Harrington as Carnoustie served up yet another unpredictable climax on Sunday night. At the end of it Padraig Harrington had become Europe&aposs first winner of a major since Paul Lawrie on the same course in 1999. The 35-year-old Dubliner, the first Republic of Ireland golfer ever to hold the Claret Jug and only the second Irishman, beat Ryder Cup team-mate Sergio Garcia by one shot in a four-hole play-off. They had had 20 top-10 finishes in majors between them without a win, so the joy for Harrington when it was over was inevitably mixed with incredible relief. For Garcia, meanwhile, the waiting goes on. As it does for the Australasian contingent, of which Green was the best of the six make the cut. It would have been a flawless round for Green, who carded six birdies and an eagle on the first 17 holes, if not for a bogey five on the 18th which ultimately cost him a share of third place with Argentine Andres Romero. Adam Scott and Rodney Pampling were the next best-placed Australians, locked in a tie for 27th place on two-over after carding final rounds of 71 and 72 respectively, while John Senden (73) was a further four shots back on six-over. Won-joon Lee was next best on seven-over (75), while it all turned pear-shaped for Kiwi Michael Campbell (77) in the final three rounds after he opened the tournament with a 68, finishing on 11-over. Harrington had looked crushed when, one ahead with one to play, he twice went in the Barry Burn for a double bogey six on the 18th – the hole, of course, Jean Van de Velde had triple-bogeyed eight years ago when three clear. Harrington, cheered up by his son Patrick running onto the green, was in mighty danger at that point of registering the 31st runners-up finish of his career. But hope remained. Garcia had still to play the 18th himself. The 27-year-old Spaniard, dead last on his most recent visit to Carnoustie in 1999 after nightmare rounds of 89 and 83, needed a four to make perfect amends. But there are few holes in the world he would less like to have been faced with. Garcia, leader all week until a sloppy run of holes on the front nine, avoided the burn safely enough, but pulled his second into a greenside bunker, splashed out to eight feet and lipped out. They tied on the seven-under-par total of 277, Harrington having come from six back with a 67 and Garcia, three clear of the field at the start of the day, managing only a 73. Reprieved, Harrington immediately went two strokes ahead in the play-off, holing an eight-foot birdie putt on the first hole after his opponent had failed to get up and down from sand again. Incredibly, Garcia then hit the flagstick on the 248-yard 16th, their second, but they both came off with par threes. Crossing to the 461-yard 17th, where third-placed Romero had earlier double-bogeyed when two clear, they both parred again, although Harrington missed a six-foot chance to increase his lead to three. Back it was then to the dreaded 18th, where first time round in the day Harrington&aposs driver took one bounce onto a bridge crossing the burn, two more bounces on it, hit the far wall and fell into the water. He chose another of his woods on his return and he then decided to lay up short of the burn with his second. Garcia was on in two, 25 feet from the flag, and there was a chance for him again when Harrington pulled his third 10 feet further away. The Irishman&aposs par putt ran almost four feet past and Garcia, for the second time on the green, was inches away from making his. But Harrington holed and, with a massive sigh of relief after all that had happened, the title was his.