AKRON, Ohio -- Padraig Harrington played the final six holes at the NEC Invitational knowing he likely wouldn't get home to Ireland in time for the birth of his first child.
His wife was due last Monday, but he decided to play the $6 million World Golf Championship when doctors said Caroline Harrington probably would be a week late.
Harrington used text messaging to keep in touch, and figured something was up when he didn't get a reply while playing the 10th hole.
When he checked again on the 13th, the text message said, "You concentrate on your job, and I'll do mine."
"She's in the hospital at the moment," Harrington said after finishing an even-par 70 at Firestone, 4 over for the tournament. "When I was talking to her earlier today before I went out, she said, 'You know, it's possible."'
Harrington's flight home was not expected to arrive until 7 a.m. Monday in Dublin.
"I hope she has the baby in the next 10 minutes for her sake," he said. "We were hoping it would go a couple of days more and that would make everything all right. But we can't have everything.
"As long as I have a healthy baby and a healthy wife at the end of it all, I'll be a very happy man."
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