Five to step into Harrington's shoes

Harrington celebrates his US PGA win wearing his Hi-Tec shoes

Five Golfmagic members will soon be walking proudly in shoes identical to those that Padraig Harrington wore to a second successive major victory on Sunday at the US PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.

Harrington, the back-to-back 2007 and 2008 Open champion, became the first European since Scots-born Tommy Armour in 1930 to claim the US PGA title, wearing a pair of Hi-Tec CDT Power Tour shoes.

We asked forum members what it would be like to be in Harrington's shoes as he walked up the final fairway at Royal Birkdale and received dozens of quality entries.

Alan McDermaid

Despite the handicap of playing with one arm, IT project manager Alan has a 21-handicap at Baberton golf club near Edinburgh

He says: "Like many golfers of my age (39), I juggle career and family time, and fit in golf when I can. That means several social rounds a year, and a solo nine holes once a week in the evening although I'm aiming to get involved in club comps from next year."

Dean is 34 from Woodlesford, West Yorkshire and has been playing golf since watching Nick Faldo win the 1992 Open at Muirfield. He got down to an unofficial eight handicap but lost five years CFS/ME before starting up again three years ago.

"My health hasn't been great with glandular fever knocking me out for most of the year, but when I've played, I play (mostly at Temple Newsam) to about 11-12 handicap. Although I'm not working I doa bit of writing to keep my brain working.Apart from that I'm a house husband to my fiancee Ali, whom I'm marrying in September.

Darren Sperrin

Robert Neale from Matlock in Derbyshire is 41 and is another who works in IT.

" I've only been playing for a year, since deciding I was too old to carry on with football. As yet I'm not a member of a club, preferring to 'tour' the golf clubs of Derbyshire.

Completing our list of winners of Hi-Tec shoes was Kevin Swann from Dinnington, Newcastle-upon-Tyne - a 52-year-old principal education consultant, who plays at City of Newcastle GC.

Says Kevin:"Delighted to win the shoes. Have only been a member a couple of years with a handicap of 18. I'm struggling to get enough practice to be able to play more consistently to reduce the handicap due to working away from home and having hip surgery earlier in the year."

Winners of our recent caption competition to win Golf Basics coaching books when we asked you to come up with a funny line for Nick Faldo feeding a giraffe in Florida were: Jim Haworth (Leigh, Lancs) , Kelvin Henderson (Edmonton, London), Alan Stevenson (East Kilbride), Ray Rapp (Harrow), Chris Curry (Co.Durham) and Ian Miller (Purton, Wilts).