Harrington: I’m clutching at straws

WHILE deriving a degree of satisfaction from winning the Irish Professional Championship for the sixth time and the third year in a row, at the European Club on Saturday, Pádraig Harrington admitted that he’s “still clutching at straws” with regard to getting his game into shape for a successful defence of the Open Championship at Turnberry this week.

Harrington finished the tournament on one under par 283 having closed with a 72 to enjoy a seven-stroke victory over Donegal golfer Brian McElhinney. He had begun the day with birdies at the 1st and 2nd but ran up a double bogey six at the extremely difficult 7th to reach the turn in 35. He mixed three bogeys with two birdies on the way home, which was far from a disgrace in the prevailing conditions but he still wasn’t entirely happy with the way his final preparation for Turnberry had gone.

“Obviously any time you tee it up in a tournament, you want to win it,” he reasoned. “Whatever that tournament is it’s always very pleasing to win. It’s a nice feeling especially as I haven’t been in that winner’s enclosure for a little bit now. Winning is a habit, there’s no doubt about that. The more you win, the better.”