Harrington holds Ryder key
Equally, however, the German didn't deny that he was a little worried about the Irishman's form in recent weeks most especially when he failed to make the cut in the BMW International.
He voiced his concerns to Thomas Bjorn, one of his assistant captains, during the early stages of last week's German Masters only to be reassured by the Dane that Pádraig would be alright on the day.
"I'm delighted to say Thomas was right and I'm also delighted for Pádraig himself and the team as a whole that he went on to win the German Masters," Langer admitted.
"It was absolutely fantastic that he should have allayed all our fears by actually winning the tournament. He's one of our most experienced players, he led the world qualifying points list and it was crucial that he should be at his best. Obviously, it's also good that two other members of our side, Luke Donald and Miguel-Angel Jimenez, won in each of the two previous weeks. Every bit of confidence helps our cause."
Harrington himself seems to be walking with an even greater bounce in his step after Cologne and displayed his confidence at yesterday's opening practice session, driving the green at the 6th, a par four that has been reduced to 300 yards.
Harrington believes that the German result has silenced the many who criticised the sacking of his caddy Dave McNeilly at a crucial stage of the season last May, especially when he replaced him on the bag with an alleged novice, in the person of close family friend Ronan Flood.
"All of that received undue attention," Harrington said.
"There was criticism of how the matter was handled but I gave Dave plenty of notice which tended to be ignored at the time. My new caddy came in for a lot of unfair stick, especially as I made it clear that he was only there temporarily until I got the caddy I wanted. As a result, there was a lot of additional pressure that probably caused us to try too hard and when you do that, the results can often be the opposite of what you desire.
"So it was very nice to win and I have to say he did a tremendous job on Sunday. As I jokingly said to somebody, it was like having Bob Rotella [Pádraig's famous American mind guru] on the bag all day. Ronan just kept on at me, saying the right things and it worked very well. I always had faith and trust in him.
"It was nice to play well and then when I got in that position to focus in and win the tournament that perhaps wasn't mine for the winning."
Little wonder, then, that he is in buoyant mood going into arguably the biggest week of the entire golfing year. With Irishmen having contributed so handsomely to a whole range of European Ryder Cup successes, it's inevitable that his memories of the event surround the heroics of golfers like Eamon Darcy, Christy O'Connor Junior and Philip Walton, whatever about his close friend Paul McGinley at The Belfry two years ago. He believes that Darcy's putt on the 18th at Muirfield Village in 1987 was "one of the best ever holed knowing that the putter wouldn't have been his favourite club."
Interestingly, he speaks in glowing terms of Christy O'Connor Senior's then record of ten successive appearances and how enthralled he was at admiring the pictures on the wall of the spike bar at Royal Dublin.
"That was some heritage and something I was very conscious of," he said. "Somebody asked me recently if I'd like it to be my turn to sink the winning putt this time and you know, I couldn't care less. It wouldn't be me at all. I'd be just happy for anybody to hole it. I see this as very much a team event. It wouldn't interest me at all to be that guy or not to be that guy. I'd like to have the opportunity just for the sake of Europe having the opportunity to win.
"And you know, as Paul McGinley took that putt in 2002, the thought went through my head that of all the people in the European team, this guy is the most likely to hit a good putt and miss.
But he hit a perfect putt ... and that will always be one of many great memories of the Ryder Cup."
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