• Irish Open, Round Four

Fisher fends off Harrington to win Irish Open

Ross Fisher is up to sixth in the European Ryder Cup list © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Poulter & McIlroy urge Monty to pick Harrington
  
• News: PGA Tour is drowning young talent - Harrington
  
• News: Fisher sets Ryder Cup goal
  
• News: McIlroy falters as Fisher maintains his lead
  
• News: Harrington's charge overshadowed by Fisher's 61
  
• News: Clarke continues his Ryder Cup push at Irish Open
  
• Profile: Padraig Harrington | Rory McIlroy

Irish Open gallery

Ross Fisher shot himself into the automatic qualification places for the Ryder Cup by holding off Padraig Harrington's charge to seal victory at the Irish Open.

Harrington put in a desperate late bid to end his two-year wait for a title by carding a seven-under 64 to complete at 16 under, but Fisher finished two shots clear of the home favourite.

World No. 36 Fisher, who now moves into sixth on the European list ahead of the Ryder Cup, looked in grave danger of hurling away his overnight lead when he found himself one-over through four.

He steadied the ship with a much-needed eagle on seven - secured with an 18-foot putt - before picking up shots at will on the back nine en route to a 65.

"This is what we play for - we want to give ourselves a chance come Sunday, and I'm no different," Fisher said. "I knew it was going to be a tough day but I just hung in there, stayed patient. I could hear the roars and so I knew Harrington was making a charge, but I knew I could do it if I just kept ahead."

Harrington will see a second-place finish as a perfect riposte to his detractors after he was forced to launch an impassioned defence of his game earlier this week in the face of mounting criticism. The world No. 19 has conceded that he would be "devastated" to miss out on a Ryder Cup place, but his performance at Killarney will have done no damage to his chances of competing in the October showpiece.

His final round was blemish-free - his work on and around the greens was peerless across the four days - and indicated that his winless streak looks certain to come to an end in the near future; perhaps at the US PGA Tournament in two weeks' time.

England's Chris Wood was left to rue his unremarkable opening-day 71 as he completed in a tie for third at 14 under alongside Gonzalo Fdez-Castano, while Francisco Molinari - one shot off Fisher at the start of the day - finished at ten-under after recording an underwhelming 72.

Darren Clarke never quite lived up to the heights of the 66 he put together on the first day, but a 12th-placed finish at eight-under is another useful step on the road as he continues his return to form. Rory McIlroy finished at two-under, while US Open winner Graeme McDowell fared one shot better.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.