Harrington ready for wild welcome

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON well remembers the 2002 US Open and the raucous atmosphere circulating around Bethpage Black as America’s national championship reached out to the masses on a public course for the first time in its history.

Not enough that it was a public course but in New York too and a little over nine months since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 dealt a crushing blow to life in the Big Apple.

Harrington saw and heard at first hand both the best and the worst side of New York golf fans that week.