Harrington fails to drive for show

A DEFINITE chance missed.

"I thought the scoring was average until Mike Weir and Lenny Mattiace really got it going on the Sunday," he mused. "That was very good golf by the two of them. But there wasn't a whole lot spectacular before then. It wasn't like the US Open at Pebble Beach in 2000 when Tiger Woods shot 15 under or Anders Hansen with his 19 under at last year's Volvo PGA and you felt, jeez, I couldn't have done that. This Masters was a lot different than that."

Having targeted the Masters as his first serious assignment of the season, it was unlike Harrington to more or less change his game plan or more specifically his driver on the eve of the tournament. He came to the conclusion that a Titleist club would give him the kind of right to left shot most observers believe is essential for success at Augusta National. It was a gamble that failed to pay off and the offending "weapon" has already been donated to charity!

"The club worked fine on the range where the wind was left to right and also during my practice rounds on the golf course," he maintains. "I agreed to the change, my caddy Dave (McNeilly) agreed to it and so, too, did my sports psychologist Dr Bob Rotella. However, the draw I was looking for turned into a hook. I ignored the fact that I hooked my drive at the first. But when I again hooked it off the 2nd tee, I was worried and even though I would have liked to go with the driver at the 3rd, I decided against because I didn't know whether it would work or not. At the 5th, where I took double bogey, I tried to cut it into a right to left wind and instead got a big draw that ended in a bunker. I spent the rest of the day trying to cut the ball but I still drew it."

Harrington claims he doesn't regret the change and doesn't dismiss the possibility of going down the same route again some time in the future. "You live and learn, I put a lot of thought into it, next time I will put even more thought into it," he commented ruefully. He insists the idea was designed to help him at holes such as the 2nd, 10th, 13th, 14th and 17th where a right to left shot is more or less essential. Had it worked, he says, he would have been a hero with reports like "Harrington conquers Amen Corner with a drive and six iron to the heart of the 13th green," ringing around the world. But work, it did not, and he has paid a heavy price, dropping in the world rankings from 8th to 10th and only too well aware of his failure to make any impression in a championship that meant so much to him.

"Augusta is an interesting course," he points out. Once I fell four over, I needed birdies and no bogeys but no matter who you are, you will always make bogeys on that golf course. I could have got it back to two over though the last few holes. But because I was on the cut mark, I went for safety, I didn't make the birdies and as I say, the bogeys always come. The chances are that if I was around level par, the birdies would have come. You need to be on top of that golf course and also to have something in reserve. There is no room for error."

Harrington remained in Augusta on the Saturday to spend some time on the range. As he headed for home, he was surprised that the scoring wasn't a lot better and that made the pain even worse. He had missed out by one stroke, and yet there were guys like Tiger Woods who made it on the limit in the shake-up going into the final round. Deep down he knew he could have been in the same situation! Nobody grinds it out better and the tougher the task the more Pádraig likes it.

"That was a great finish by Mike, real text book stuff. He birdied the two par fives and parred the rest. He's the best putter I have seen in a long time. Every putt was in the middle of the hole at the perfect pace, not too firm, not dribbled.

"There's only one man I can compare him with and that was Raymie Burns when he was winning all the boys championships at the age of 15 or so. Just as Mike spent the winter in the cold of Canada practising and practising his putting, Raymie did likewise in the months leading up to that season. Did I learn a lesson from watching Mike Weir? Maybe, but I had already learned it from Raymie. I played foursomes with him and it was scary. He'd hit forty footers five feet past forgetting it was I who had to take the one back. But he was a serious putter in those days. It wasn't that he had a great technique, it was because of all the hard work he put in."

Pádraig is now in the middle of a three week break from the tournament scene but these are still busy times. He is indulging in what he describes as "a topping up" exercise having been to see his coach, Bob Torrance, in Scotland a few days ago and with most of the gym work done during the winter months. That regimen has certainly paid off for he has never looked fitter and even though he doesn't return to competitive action until the Benson & Hedges International at The Belfry on May 8-11, he insists he is "ready to go."

Pádraig and Caroline (who is expecting their first baby in August) move into their palatial new home at Rathmichael in south county Dublin next month. Already reaching maturity is his own little on site golf course which contains one large tee and a top-class putting green constructed to the most exacting specifications and small astroturf greens for target practice. He has designed the "course" so that the holes play into the prevailing wind with a longest shot of 150 yards which means that at times he will be able to hit as much as a full seven iron!