Black to the future for Harrington
Four missed cuts in five tournaments certainly does not bode well for what lies ahead. However, if he needs a positive memory to carry into this week’s US Open at Bethpage, he need only cast his mind back to the previous championship at the Long Island course in 2002 when he produced, to my mind anyway, one of the finest rounds of his illustrious career.
The Black at Bethpage is one of five public courses in the Long Island National Park, designed by the well respected AW Tillinghast, and modernised for the 2002 Open to such an extent that it was described by Nick Faldo as “a serious beast” and widely accepted as one of the longest and most difficult on the USGA rota. For the protection of ordinary mortals, there’s a sign close to the first tee warning that “the Black course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers”.
