Neck injury makes Harrington an unlikely Carton starter
"There's no way I could have played golf today," Harrington admitted. "It flared up over the weekend and the joint is very painful and sore. I've worked very hard at strengthening up the muscles around my neck.
"They have relaxed and are in good shape which is a positive sigh. But the joint is very tender and very sore. I don't whether it's still locked up or not."
It would be a disaster for the tournament should Harrington, ranked number nine in the world, have to withdraw.
Ironically bookmakers had installed him as 8/1 favourite to become the first home champion since John O'Leary in 1982.
He received extensive treatment in an effort to tee up at 7.40am this morning.
"My backswing is severely restricted but it's a hell of a lot better than it was two hours ago, I was in a lot of pain then," he added.
"The physio is happy but I'm thinking it is very bad. I had some treatment late last night and he sees a lot of improvement. He thinks he'll get me but it's just that I don't think I'm capable of playing.
"I had this injury on the Friday of the Masters and couldn't swing the club properly and it's worse now. I don't expect to be able to hit my driver properly and this course is all about driving.
"I played the course with three of my brothers last week and as I told Irish Examiner readers yesterday, it's one you won't score on unless you drive the ball in the fairway.
"The damage is obviously a manifestation of the same problem that's been hurting me for the past few years. It's in the joint coming from C5. Every time it happens, it gives me something new to work on and sort out.
"I slept badly on it and hit a few shots the next morning and it snapped."
Harrington is determined to tee it up if humanly possible and to prove that the old adage "beware the injured golfer" will ring true.
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