The Wanamaker Trophy had only been his for a matter of minutes when Padraig Harrington admitted his eyes were elsewhere.
“I'm actually disappointed I'm seven months away from the next Major,” he said.
The Irishman has made winning Majors – and claiming records – a habit in recent weeks having added this US PGA Championship title to the last two editions of The Open Championship.
In the process he became the first Irishman to win this event, the first European since 1930 and the first European to win back-to-back Major titles.
His World Ranking of three remains the same, but his position in world golf has changed substantially. Now, as was demonstrated by a line of questioning in the press conference, he is seen as a rival to Tiger Woods.
“Well, you know, that's a nice question to ask,” he said. “It's a good situation that you can ask that question. It's a big step.
“I have probably been the leading player in Europe for close to six years. And I probably still get asked, you know, am I the leading player in Europe. But it's six years that I've probably maintained that arranging more or less. A couple of times, I might have lost it, but more or less for the close to six years.
“It is a big step now to move up now and start competing on a different level. I've got Phil, I've got Tiger ahead of me.”
Ominously, in addition to momentum, the 36 year old also believes he has room within his career to improve.
“Do I believe I can improve as a player? Yes. I do believe I can improve as a player. There's plenty of my game to improve.
“There's lots of stuff I can work on. And I am maturing as a player. I have always been throughout my career, I have been a learner in the game. I've always applied myself, looked for what would improve my game, found that, and worked on it to improve it and have improved it.”
He needs no lessons in beating Sergio Garcia. This win, by two strokes from Ben Curtis and Garcia, who led with four holes to play, was reminiscent of last year’s play-off win at The Open.
His secret this time was to play his own game.
He said: “I did tell myself all along that even when he had a three shot lead or a two shot lead, that it could be just one hole could change that around. So most of the time, I was trying to stay patient and hang in there, trying to take my chances.
“But I knew that there's no question I had one eye on Sergio and had to be disciplined to try and not focus on him too much; to try and have him as a playing partner, rather than necessarily as a competitor on the day. And it is difficult in that situation because you don't want to necessarily get involved in somebody else's game that you have no control over.”
He did have control and he won, but his glory did not mask his sympathy for Garcia, who rises to Number Four in the World and third in The Ryder Cup standings.
Harrington said: “It was very evident at Carnoustie that when I won, I was so focused on what I was doing on me, the high of it; when I turned around, I saw Sergio and I could see the disappointment that there was somebody; that there was a loser that day.
“You know, normally, I had no preparation for it. I had no concept of the fact that there was going to be a winner and a loser that day. And when I saw it in Sergio's face, I could see the sheer disappointment. And today, my own emotions, I didn't really notice. I was concentrating on Ben Curtis.”
Garcia has not yet succeeded in claiming a Major, though it seems, as always, only a matter of time.
The finish was his third runner-up spot at a Major and his 14th top-ten finish at a Major. Irrespective, he insists it is no cause for disappointment.
He said: “Obviously I was trying to win, but that's it. It's not disappointing. Every time you're out there trying to win a Major, you know, what can you do, there can only be one winner. I'm fine.
“It was worse when I finished The Open Championship than this year, than I am right now.
“That's the way it goes. You know, the good thing about it is I feel good out there. I felt like I played good. I definitely feel like I played well enough to win. But unfortunately it didn't happen. So that's pretty much all I can ask myself to do.
“Why? Because I lost it there on the back nine. You know, when you give it your best, and the end result is not what you wish for, you know, it's hard, but you feel good, you feel like you gave it your best.
“There, I kind of lost control a little bit, and I didn't have a chance; when after nine, I did have a chance of doing something, so it's not disappointing.”
Harrington had come into the US PGA in Detroit feeling drained by his Royal Birkdale experience just three weeks previously and even at the halfway stage on Friday night had virtually dismissed his chances of victory citing mental fatigue after a second-round 74 had left him at five over par for the tournament.
Two consecutive rounds of 66 followed and Harrington was asked how he would perform if he came into a Major Championship feeling 100 per cent fit and on top of his game.
“No, no, no, it doesn't work like that,” Harrington said with a laugh.
“I actually struggle with things are comfortable. It's something that I work with, with (sports psychologist) Bob Rotella. I'm better off; I definitely have a little bit of, I want to be fighting it.
“And that's why I have done well when things like this week when I'm not quite on my game. I've won many a tournament where I felt I wasn't swinging as well as I could; and performed poorly sometimes when I felt I was swinging well.
“So I'm a bit, a little bit of a contrast like that. But I'm getting better. As I said at The Open Championship I did it when I felt good about my game, and that was important to me.”
Harrington explained how he had turned things around since that low moment on Friday night.
“It's a fascinating thing this week that I definitely didn't have my golf swing,” he said.
“My coordination was out all week. On Thursday and Friday I couldn't get to the clubhouse quick enough. My game was going downhill very quickly out on the golf course.
“When I went back and had a look at it, and had a discussion with my trainer at home; it was possible that I was dehydrated. And that's what caused the lack of co-ordination.
“So it gave me something to focus on. I focused on Friday evening and Saturday, and all through Saturday and Sunday in rehydrating myself. And at least whether that was the cause or not, whether it was it might have been tiredness, as well.
“But at least I had something tangible that I could actually pin it on and try and put some effort into it and give me the belief that if I can get my hydration right, basically my coordination would come back. And whether it was the answer or not, it certainly helped me focus on something, and that was the important part of it.”
