The Associated Press Padraig Harrington salutes the crowd after finishing his round with a 4-under 66.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Padraig Harrington’s first two U.S. Senior Open titles weren’t decided until the final hole.

His record-tying third had no drama by the time he reached the back nine on Sunday.

Harrington became the fourth golfer to defend his U.S. Senior Open title, shooting a final-round 66 to win by four shots at Scioto Country Club.

The 54-year-old Irishman also joined Miller Barber as the only three-time winners in the tournament’s 46-year history.

“I like creating records, and to be part of that is a big deal. It just shows how hard it is,” Harrington said after capturing his fourth senior major. “I’m seeing guys coming along, and I’m kind of realizing there is only a window to win these tournaments. They have told me and other players that it’s kind of up to about 56-57, then it starts going downhill quickly.

“But I was thinking and feeling that way, that you only have a set period to get your major wins on the Senior Tour because not that you’re getting older but new guys are coming in.”

Harrington also joins Barber (1985), Gary Player (1988), and Allen Doyle (2006) as the only golfers to win the U.S. Senior Open back-to-back.

Harrington — who finished at 12-under 268 — birdied the first two holes and had four birdies with only one bogey. Third-round leader Stewart Cink was runner-up for the second straight year. Cink bogeyed two of the first three holes and struggled with accuracy most of the day, shooting 71 and finishing at 8-under 272.

“It feels great, but there wasn’t the drama we normally provide down the stretch,” said Harrington, who won by one shot in 2022 and ’25. “I knew I had a nice lead, which let me play to the middle of the greens and hit the shots. I hit some big shots coming home to take all the stress out of it.”

It is Harrington’s 12th career PGA Tour Champions victory and his first since last July’s Senior British Open.

George McNeill — the other player in the Harrington-Cink grouping — shot a 71 and finished with a 6-under 274. Ian Poulter (67) was fourth at 5-under 275 while Retief Goosen (67), Jamie Donaldson (68) and Paul Stankowski (69) were at 4-under 276.

Altoona’s Artie Fink Jr. shot rounds of 85 and 84 but did not make the cut after Friday’s second round.

Gotterup wins

SILVIS, Ill. — Chris Gotterup made up a five-shot deficit by closing with a 9-under 62 to win the John Deere Classic for his fourth PGA Tour title in the last 12 months.

Gotterup avoided a playoff when Ben Kohles, trying to win for the first time in his 120th start, hit his approach to the 18th left and into the water and wound up with a double bogey.

Gotterup next week defends his title in the Scottish Open, where he began his remarkable run to reach the top 10 in the world. He held off Rory McIlroy a year ago in Scotland, and then won the Sony Open and the Phoenix Open this year.

He finished at 20-under 264 and moved to No. 7 in the world.

It was a devastating finish for Kohles (68), who two years ago made bogey on the final hole of the Byron Nelson and lost in a playoff. He missed a short bogey putt to fall into a three-way tie for third, making Max Homa (64) the runner-up.

Hollick delivers in clutch

MUNICH — South African Michael Hollick made an 18-foot eagle putt on the final hole to defeat countryman Hennie Du Plessis and win the BMW International Open for his first European tour victory Sunday.