Reveling in his changed status, Christy wonders why he was so foolish as "not to kill my father in the years gone by." He triumphs in local sports and winds the spirited Pegeen away from her terrified fiance. Old Mahon shows up, however, battered but alive, seeking his son, and the cheers (including Pegeen's) turn to jeers. With his new-found assurance Christy turns the tables, tames his father, and walks out on Pegeen Mike to be the "Playboy of the Western World."