Happy Harrington delighted to show off his home course
He is proud of every aspect of Dr Tim Mahony’s magnificent complex and he is delighted at having the opportunity to show it off to the world’s greatest golfers who have assembled in Co Kilkenny for the $5.5 million American Express World Championship.
He wants to see everything go off like clockwork, for the sun to shine, to have HIS club shown off in the very best possible light to Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, David Duval and the rest. And yet he also recognises a clear irony in this position for he knows full well that windy, wet conditions would help him a great deal more in his challenge for the $1m first prize rather than the kind weather still being predicted.
“Being attached here and the fact that the tournament is in Ireland means that I want everything to go perfectly,” he said. “I keep asking players how everything is going, I’m wishing everybody well. I’m hoping that the event comes out as a winner this week nearly more so than that I come out as a winner. We have a classic field including 49 of the top fifty in the world. The spectators are not going to see bigger names or have a better opportunity to see Tiger play here competitively.
“This course sets standards for Ireland. I’m constantly saying we don’t have the weather but truthfully, I can come down here in the winter and the greens are just as good, maybe a little slower, but they’re always perfect. It’s as good condition-wise as any course I’ve played all year. I would probably have to go to Australia to find courses in as good condition. It’s perfect. I don’t think anyone could fault it.” Pádraig’s wife Caroline is one of the few disappointed that he has been drawn tomorrow with Tiger Woods. “She’s afraid she won’t be able to see what’s happening because most of the crowd will be watching Tiger,” he smiled.
However, the experience will be nothing new for Harrington who played the last round of the 2001 US Open with Woods and also the third day of this year’s US Open. “I expected either Darren (Clarke) or myself would be drawn with Tiger,” he mused.
“I’m very happy to play with him. I’ll be looking after my game and he’ll be looking after his. I don’t think it will be too much of a distraction, if anything it can only help. The andrenalin will be running whether I’m with Tiger or not, just being at Mount Juliet will see to that. I would still be nervous on the first tee because we’re in Ireland so it’s nice playing with Tiger but it’s still going to be the same as if I was drawn with any of the other guys.
"At Bethpage in the US Open, we were very much going our own ways, trying to manage our own games and there wasn’t a huge amount of chat. There was a huge crowd and there was a constant amount of noise level so that in reality you never heard individual sounds. Everything went well. There was no problem with crowd control. Tiger tapped in and 10, 000 people ran off to the next tee but that still left 10, 000 still there so I didn’t see the other lot leaving. I do watch my partners a lot, I like to see what makes guys tick when they’re playing golf but I won’t watch Tiger more than any other player.
“There’s always a little extra pressure and expectation playing at home but I should be able to cope with that now. This week is strange in two ways. Either you play well and compete in this tournament or you don’t play well and start thinking about the Ryder Cup. It’s like there’s no end, if you know what I mean. If you’re not in contention, it’s the Ryder Cup you’re thinking about and if you are in contention, great, you play for this week. So you’re in a no lose situation, really.” So, I wondered, which would he prefer, to win the World Championship over his home course or to be a member of a successful European Ryder Cup team?
The grimace prior to the answer indicated that it was the kind of dilemma he’d rather not think about.
“At this very moment, I want to win here and next week I want to win the Ryder Cup,” he responded. “When you turn up at a tournament, all you’re thinking about is winning that event. The only time I will start thinking about the Ryder Cup is when I feel this tournament is out of my reach. You can’t balance things like that, I want to win both. Let’s be greedy.”
Harrington has been adversely affected by nagging neck and foot problems over the past month or so and this means he has had to curtail the huge amount of time usually spent on the practice ground. This may be all for the best for you sometimes feel he really overdoes it. Yesterday, he restricted himself to hitting 55 balls and intends to play no more than a leisurely nine holes this morning and another nine after a long lunch.
“I’m not where I want to be with my game, no golfer ever is,” he asserted. “I’m gradually building up so hopefully when I get to The Belfry next week I won’t be looking to do a huge amount of practice and I’m hoping that’s the case this week as well”.
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