Scene set for K Club combat

THE Smurfit European Open could hardly have scripted things better for their €3.4m championship beginning over the original Palmer North Course at The K Club on Thursday.

Fast on the heels of US Open champion Michael Campbell’s confirmation of his participation came Padraig Harrington’s magnificent victory in the Barclays Westchester Classic in New York on Sunday. So the two most recent winners on the US circuit and two of the most charismatic characters in the game head the entry for one of the European Tour’s flagship events.

The championship also boasts the presence of defending champion and world number five Retief Goosen, along with major names like recent BMW PGA Championship winner Angel Cabrera from Argentina and rival Ryder Cup captains Tom Lehman and Ian Woosnam.

Furthermore, at 3pm tomorrow, Woosnam and Lehman will disclose to the media some of their plans for the intervening 14 months. Here in Ireland, we will hang on Woosie’s every word until he assures us of what the dogs in the street already know - that Des Smyth will be his vice-captain and Peter Baker and Sandy Lyle will act as his assistants come the K Club in September 2006.

Lehman will be taking it all in. He knows the course from a couple of previous visits to the European Open but this is different, especially as several alterations have been made to Arnold Palmer’s creation, not least at the par three third which is now a far more difficult proposition, and the 16th (known as Michael’s Favourite) where head professional John McHenry has been instrumental in the construction of a new ‘back’ tee that makes the drive more fearsome than ever.

For now though, all the talk concerns Harrington’s magnificent triumph in New York, his second on the US circuit this year. It wasn’t just the spectacular manner of its accomplishment that endeared the Irishman to everyone - a 65-foot eagle putt on the 18th closed the door on his chief rival Jim Furyk - but the gutsy way he hung in when it looked like his chance for victory had evaporated.

The luckless Furyk was hugely complimentary even though he was finishing runner-up for the third time in 2005.

Having been down that road himself 25 times over the years, Harrington could certainly empathise with Furyk on that count.

Harrington is back to eighth in the world rankings, having drifted out to 11th after a run of poor performances since he captured the Honda Classic back in March. Not alone that, but he is also up to ninth in the US Tour money list with the handsome total of $2.8m, even if that sum is still only half what the leader, Vijay Singh, has accumulated. Furthermore, he has become the sixth multiple winner in the States this season following Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Singh, three each, and Kenny Perry and Justin Leonard with two apiece.

Having suggested in this column last week that I feared Harrington was working too hard on his game and could benefit from a bit of a breather, it is a compelling thought that he did enjoy a few days off in the build-up to Westchester and took in some of the delights of New York with his wife Caroline, their son Patrick and her parents.

Also relaxing for a day or two was his caddy, Ronan Flood. Accordingly, they arrived at the golf course, one Harrington knew well and liked, having been beaten in a play-off 12 months previously by Sergio Garcia, refreshed and ready for action.

“There are more things to do in New York so it kind of gets you away from golf,” he mused.

“Maybe I was trying too hard the last couple of weeks. This week I went to a Yankees game and obviously with the basketball play-offs, there were more things to help keep me away from thinking of the golf.

“I did a good enough job. I would certainly have needed to look at and appraise my attitude in the previous weeks but last week was good. I’m a person who likes to come back to a course I play well at. It puts a little bit of pressure on you. You think, well, I did well here last year and you feel you should do so again this time. Obviously though, the Westchester course suits me.

“You know, I’m a strange person, my emotions really dictate how I play. With the family situation and the way I’ve been, I’ve been very hard on myself on the golf course. This week I decided to lighten up a bit and enjoy it a bit more.

“So I was focusing on my golf and enjoying it. I always play better when I’ve got a smile on face.”

Generally speaking Harrington tries to play down the impact of his father’s illness but he was delighted to get home early yesterday morning so that he could be with Paddy.

As he pointed out: “I live 20 minutes away from my dad so I’m there every day when I’m at home. I pulled out of a few events early in the year and this was a decision to come for three weeks but without a doubt I’ve been on the phone every day. I was on the phone to my mum yesterday and afterwards Caroline asked ‘how is your dad?’. And I said ‘do you think my mum is going to tell me?’

“So it’s great to be home to see him. He was given a couple of weeks back in March so it’s good he’s managed one more win.”