Padraig Harrington won $800K after winning the PGA Champions Tour U.S. Senior Open, but it’s still not enough for Rory McIlroy to join the senior tour after turning 50 in 14 years

Rory McIlroy won’t play in the PGA Champions Tour

While Rory McIlroy’s mind is set in stone that he will never swing a club on the PGA Champions Tour, his former Ryder Cup teammate Padraig Harrington just cashed an $800,000 check from it.

The 53-year-old Irishman picked up his second U.S. Senior Open title in four years at Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs, continuing a lucrative run on the PGA’s over-50 circuit. Harrington has earned an estimated $1.4 million through nine tournaments on the Champions Tour this season, including a $264k payout for his second-place finish at the Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club in May. McIlory remains the second-highest paid golfer ever.

“Absolutely not,” McIlroy once said when asked if he’d consider playing the Champions Tour once eligible. “I’ve said a lot of absolutes in my time that I’ve walked back… but I do not envision playing Champions Tour golf. Something has gone terribly wrong if I have to compete in golf at 50.”

Harrington would likely disagree after the former three-time major winner earned $800,000 and credited his course comfort and mental edge with helping him cross the finish line.

“Here I’m comfortable. I’m not thinking I’m going to miss the cut. Touch wood that doesn’t happen. If you brought me to a regular event on Thursday afternoon, I’d be thinking about the cut line. Whereas here I’m thinking, how do I get myself into position?”

He continued, “Even the first couple of days, I got going and could have pulled away from the field. I dropped back a couple of shots, but I was still going. All I want is to be in it with nine holes to go and in the right headspace.”

The victory marks another highlight in Harrington’s Champions Tour career that began in 2022 and immediately earned him Rookie of the Year honors. His U.S. Senior Open win in 2022 showed he still had plenty left in the tank, and the second win solidifies his status as one of the Tour’s most dangerous competitors. Harrington has placed within the top three six times in his last sixteen Champions Tour major outings.

Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington were Ryder Cup teammates

McIlroy and Harrington were teammates for Team Europe at the 2010 Ryder Cup, where McIlroy helped lead Europe to victory and Harrington made his sixth straight appearance. While Harrington has fully embraced the post-50 golf grind, McIlroy’s outlook likely won’t change.

While McIlroy hasn’t set a specific retirement timeline, the career Grand Slam winner mentioned wanting to leave the game with energy “left in the tank”. He also shared a wish to exit golf on his own terms and not leave the sport because of ongoing injuries. McIlroy’s TGL Golf partner, Tiger Woods, turns 50 in December and is thinking about a run on the Champions circuit.