Harrington plans points haul before hibernation

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON is intent on building up a “war chest” of Ryder Cup points between now and December when he will take his customary nine-week break from competitive golf.

He has set his heart on making his fourth Ryder Cup appearance at the K Club next September and picked up his first allocation of points at St Andrews on Sunday by finishing in a tie for third in the dunhill Links Championship.

He is well back in the Ryder Cup world and European Tour cup rankings, in 16th place, but he intends to improve things further during the week when he contests the €6.2m AmEx World Championship at Harding Park in San Francisco.

He admitted: “I would like to be swinging the club better and I need to work harder on the mental side, so I am not 100% happy.”

However, he added: “At least I am getting into some sort of competitive condition and that is good.”

Harrington’s chief concern right now is an inability to decide on what kind of shot he will play before standing over the ball. Such indecision is understandable in a club golfer but not for one of the finest professionals in the world (he has slipped a further place in the rankings to 13th, having been as high as sixth after winning the Buick Classic in New York in June). He is baffled by the shortcoming and hopes he will find the remedy after a few sessions with his mind coach in San Francisco.

“I will see Bob Rotella and work with him on this and other problems but I know what I need to do and that is to be more focused before I get over the ball,” he said.

“It’s as easy as that. I was disappointed with the way I swung the club on Sunday, it was the worst on a golf course all year. But at least I ground out a performance, which is good in itself. I also received Ryder Cup points and they all count, although I will be concentrating mainly on the world ranking list for my points.

“I have six or so world ranking scoring tournaments left this year including the AmEx, the Las Vegas Invitational next week, the two Tour Championships (the Volvo Masters at Valderrama and the US Tour Championship at East Lake, Atlanta) and the HSBC Champions’ event in Shanghai.

“I need points from those to build up a bit of a war chest for the winter. It will be a nine-week break and I won’t be going to Hawaii for the Mercedes Championship (an event he qualifies for as winner of two tournaments on the US circuit earlier in the year) and as of now I’m not planning on playing the Dubai Classic, which has been moved to the start of February.”

While Harrington never really looked like winning the dunhill and wasn’t unduly disappointed at a third place finish, it was only when every putt had been holed that he realised how close he was to at least getting into a play-off.

Two three-putts cost him dearly and while he shot seven birdies he also made five concessions.

He said: “I would like to be playing better going into the AmEx given the stature of the event, the prize money and the world ranking and Ryder Cup points on offer.”

However, at long last he has strutted his stuff in Europe (he is 32nd after the dunhill Links) and could well be getting into the positive frame of mind that helped him capture the Honda and Buick Classics in the US earlier in the current campaign.

They may not have meant it as such but it was hugely encouraging to hear so many leading players stress at St Andrews that one of their chief ambitions right now is to get into next year’s European Ryder Cup team because the clash with the Americans is taking place in Ireland.

Dunhill champion Colin Montgomerie was most vocal as he virtually dismissed his prospects of winning an eighth European Tour order of merit in favour of playing his way into Ian Woosnam’s side.

He described the bundle of Cup team points at stake as “crucial”.

He added: “I want to play in Ireland along with everybody else on the European Tour, we all want to be part of that.”

It’s inconceivable that Monty would have to rely this time on a captain’s pick to make his eighth appearance.

He relied on Bernhard Langer for a place at Oakland Hills but as he is more than a third of the way there already and a clear leader of both points lists, he may well have relieved himself of any anxiety by the end of this year.

Reports indicate Monty’s private life is settling down and the lady he met shortly after the break-up of his marriage 16 months ago was on hand to give him a big hug as he marched off the 18th green on Sunday.

The grapevine also indicates that while his divorce settlement could hurt him financially, there will be enough left over for him to buy another mansion in Surrey’s exclusive stockbroker belt.