To be sure, to be sure. That’s the new motto for Padraig Harrington after his back-to-back Open victories — something that had not been done previously by a European in more than a century.

And there are those who believe that a hat-trick is not beyond the affable 37-year-old Irishman as his odds for Turnberry have been cut from 16-1 to 12s by both Paddy Power and William Hill.

If successful, he will be the first since Australian Peter Thomson (1954,’55,’56) to record a three-timer. Thomson also won it in 1958 and ‘65.

Success for Harrington at Royal Birkdale hit the Irish bookies hard with the firms paying out around £4m and Boylesports having to return half a million in cashback after their offer of a return of stake on losing singles if either Sergio Garcia or Harrington won.

However, it could have been worse for the industry. Many firms swerved the winner after his injury scare which saw Harrington’s price drift alarmingly.

A Ladbroke’s spokesman said, “We couldn’t lay him at 20s, 25s or even 33-1.

Betfair had him at 70-1 just before the start and after he bogeyed the first, he was available at 150-1.

Now it’s on to the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills for which Padraig is 16-1 but I would not be rushing in for that in view of his record Stateside.

Padraig was only 42nd at Southern Hills last year and no European has won this major since the 1950s.

Now number three in the world, he was fifth in the Masters but a poor 36th in the US Open.

On the Ryder Cup front, Harrington is 11-2 with Skybet and Boyles to be Europe’s top Ryder Cup scorer in Kentucky.

Meanwhile, stormin Greg Norman who was matched at 1,000 to £1,845 on Betfair before finishing joint-third is 15-2 with Stan James to win the Senior British Open at Royal Troon and that has to be great value, given his form in the past week.

PGA Championship (William Hill Bet): 9-1 Phil Mickelson, 14-1 Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia, Jim Furyk, 20-1 Vijay Singh, K J Choi, 25-1 Anthony Kim, Lee Westwood, Kenny Perry, Geoff Ogilvy, Retief Goosen, Stewart Cink, 33-1 Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Trevor Immelman, Luke Donald, 40-1 Mike Weir, Robert Allenby, 50-1 Andres Romero, Ian Poulter, Steve Stricker, Justin Leonard, Paul Casey, Angel Cabrera, Stuart Appleby, Hunter Mahan . 66-1 bar.

37th Ryder Cup: 11-10 USA, 10-11 Europe, 9-1 Draw

Paddy Power Harrington Specials: 6-1 Harrington to be top European Ryder Cup points scorer.

16-1 Harrington to win 3 British Opens in a row

25-1 Harrington to win 2009 Irish PGA & 2009 British Open

16-1 Harrington to win 2008 USPGA.