Harrington hoping to spring Shanghai surprise
The event carries a record $5m purse for an event in Asia and has attracted Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh.
The European and US Tours for 2005 came to an end in Valderrama and East Lake over the past week and the HSBC will count for order of merit and Ryder Cup points in Europe in 2006.
Accordingly, most f our top players will be in the Chinese capital, including Harrington, Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell. Harrington was on his way to Shanghai yesterday from Atlanta, where he performed well enough in the US Tour Championship to finish in a share of seventh and earn $209,625.
It would have been $80,000 more had an errant tee shot not cost him a bogey at the par-three final hole on Sunday, when he needed to chip and putt for his four.
However, Harrington goes to Shanghai hopeful that the consistency that has returned to his game in his last two events will help him to take his third international win of the season.
“I finished the Volvo Masters at Valderrama with two rounds of 67 that didn’t include a single bogey and after a 71 on the first day at East Lake, broke 70 in each of the next three rounds,” he said.
“I spent eight hours on the Valderrama practice range on the Tuesday before the Volvo Masters with my coach Bob Torrance. Some felt I may have overdone it and I did have trouble with my neck subsequently, but I had more than the Volvo Masters in mind when I put in all that work.
“I still have the HSBC, the World Cup and Tiger’s Target World Challenge to come this year before I take my usual nine-week break and I’m really looking forward to all of that.”
McGinley goes to Shanghai on the back of his magnificent Volvo Masters triumph and a relaxing week off. His confidence is absolutely sky high at present with a really big win under his belt and his rise to 18th in the world rankings, having begun the year in 66th place.
Nothing seems to be beyond him these days and it will be a surprise if he doesn’t figure in the final shake-up.
McGinley will have many familiar faces to make him feel at home, for in addition to Harrington and McDowell, there’s a host of Europeans in the field, led by order of merit winner Colin Montgomerie.
This is also a tournament that could have a big say in how McDowell’s career develops.
He is 52nd in the world and needs to get into the top 50 at the end of the year if he is to qualify for the majors and world championships in 2006.
Should he do enough in Shanghai to ensure he stays among the leading 50, he will call it a day for the rest of the year and concentrate on getting himself back to full fitness after suffering spinal damage in a car crash earlier in the year.
If not, he will pack his bags and play upcoming events in Asia and South Africa.
Woods may have lost out to the remarkably resilient 42-year-old Bart Bryant in the Tour Championship, but he goes to Shanghai happy with his lot. He leads the US money list with a whopping $10,628,024, followed by Singh on $8,017,336.
The Fijian gave a shocking putting display at East Lake and it will be interesting to see if he reverts to the broom handle in China.
Harrington for his part came home in 14th spot in the money list with $2,615,731 and has also improved to 11th place in the European Ryder Cup World points table, while remaining 14th in the world rankings.
Meanwhile, the European Tour School for players at the other end of the golfing landscape begins over the two courses at San Roque in the south of Spain on Thursday.
The already exempt Irish trio of Stephen Browne, Colm Moriarty and Philip Walton have been joined in the field for the six-round marathon by former West of Ireland champion
Eamonn Brady and St Margaret’s club professional John Kelly, both of whom came through the second qualifier in Cadiz at the weekend.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
