Harrington may miss out on Masters

WORLD number six Pádraig Harrington has said he may not play in the US Masters in two weeks’ time.

The Irishman said he is only competing in the Players’ Championship, which starts in Florida today, because his father wants to watch him on TV.

Harrington’s father Paddy, 72, is in hospital having treatment for cancer.

“Unfortunately there is a chance I could miss the Masters. I don’t want to, and my intention is to come.”

He will fly home after the Players’ Championship and will only make a decision about the Masters when he is in Ireland. But Harrington insisted he would not let events off the course affect the way he plays in the Players’ Championship, where he has been runner-up for the past two years.

“I have spoken to Bob Rotella (his American sports psychologist) and at the end of the day I’ve not got to have any excuses for playing and doing my job,” he said.

“If I don’t win it’s not going to be a burden, but there’s no point going out there and making a couple of bogeys and wanting to go home.

“He (Harrington’s father) is at home wanting to watch it, and it’s only because of that that I’m here. The decision was made in the middle of last week.

Harrington’s father played a major role in his son’s sporting development.

“I’ve had the best possible background for playing golf, for playing all sports,” he said.

“I couldn’t have got more encouragement from my dad without him ever in any sense pushing me or wanting to live his life through my sports. It was top-notch. When I was growing up my dad was a very competitive, very intelligent player and he just taught me the art of scoring.”