For the second time in 24 hours, Irish eyes were smiling in China after Padraig Harrington opened the 2004 European Tour season with a dramatic victory at the Omega Hong Kong Open.

It followed the success of 19-year-old Rosanna Davison, daughter of pop star Chris de Burgh, in being crowned Miss World on the tropical Chinese island of Hainan.

Back on the mainland, in Hong Kong's New Territories, Harrington fended off the spirited challenge of South African Hennie Otto to win by one stroke on the final hole.

Otto had charged ahead with a run of three successive birdies to set the clubhouse lead at ten under par, leaving Harrington the task of picking up two shots on the final two holes for victory.

The 32-year-old nearly blew it all on the 16th, where his approach flew over the back onto the lip of the bunker, but he saved par then pulled off a stunning finale.

After sinking a 12ft putt to draw level on the 17th, Harrington left himself a 20ft effort on the undulating final green for the title.

Otto was on the putting green preparing for a play-off so would not have seen Harrington size up the putt from every angle, but he would have heard the cheers from the delighted galleries.

Harrington drained the putt right down the middle for his eighth career victory.

"When I walked up the line jumped out at me, six inches right of the hole, uphill right to left,'' he said.

''If you are going to hole a putt, this is going to be your favourite putt. I felt good about it. I hit a perfect putt, everything about it was good and I am happy -it did just as I thought it would do.

''Since I won the TPC in May I have had an average year and have been really looking to win one of the last events in order to prove my year's standing in my own mind.

''This win here is my second win of 2003, two wins is pretty good in any year and I can put this down as a good year now.''

Harrington started the day a shot behind overnight leader Christopher Hanell but moved ahead with successive early birdies and was cruising to victory.

Hanell, defending champion Fredrik Jacobson and England's Chris Gane all threatened, but Harrington was unfazed.

''I was happy with my game, I was expecting to do well and knew that a lot of people would have to shoot well to keep up with me,'' he said.

''The first nine holes I focused really well and it was as easy a three under par as I've ever shot.''

But things began to go wrong on the way in, starting with a lost ball and bogey on 10 and another dropped shot on 14.

''I was just trying to stay ahead of Christopher over the next three holes and it was only when I got to 16 I realised Hennie had overtaken me,'' he said.

''My mindset changed. I got very aggressive and really got back into focus on those last three holes. It was nice to turn it around.''

Otto, who led the Open championship during the first round, missed a five- foot putt on the last that would have left him two shots clear and heaped the pressure on Harrington.

As it was, the 27-year-old was focusing on the achievement of an impressive second-place finish, rather that the one that got away.

''If you'd given me second place at the start of the week, I would have taken it,'' he said.

''It's certainly a big confidence boost for the new season. I just came up a bit short.

''I missed that putt from five feet for birdie at the last. I knew I needed that one for a chance of winning. Thomas Bjorn's went one way, mine went the other. It's just how greens are.''

In the end, Otto finished three shots clear in second and 77,870 dollars richer, with Jacobson, Gane, Bjorn and Darren Clarke tied for third on seven under par.

Tour rookie Richard McEvoy, who led on ten under par after two rounds, eventually tied for 15th on minus four, alongside his boyhood idol Nick Faldo.

* Local hero Robert Allenby kept his unbeaten record in play-offs intact to claim the first Australian Mastercard Masters of his lengthy career on Sunday.

The Aussie has won every play-off he has taken part in as a professional after picking up victory at Huntingdale, Melbourne, following a four-way shoot-out.

Tied alongside Allenby on 11 under at the end of the four scheduled rounds were Adam Scott, three-time winner Craig Parry and Jarrod Moseley.