Bookies backing Paddy power to prevail
Admittedly Harrington won the Irish PGA Championship at the European Club on Saturday but his words and body language afterwards indicated that he is still a way off the form essential for a third successive Open triumph.
Nor will it have helped his brittle confidence that he has now fallen to 14th in the world rankings from third in January.
McIlroy (now 22nd in the same rankings) failed to deliver in the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, an event that looked perfect for his game.
He was never a factor and faded further back the longer the weekend went on.
Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke promised great things until they, too, failed to last the pace and finished in a share of 41st along with Graeme McDowell, now ranked 46th in the world. Damien McGrane stuck to his task with typical resolve and wound up best of the Irish contingent in a share of 25th.
The seventh Irishman at Turnberry is Waterville’s David Higgins who claimed his spot in the final local qualifying round at Glasgow Gailes.
However he suffered from those exertions over the first three days in the IPGA before a closing 72 confirmed his game remained in reasonable health.
It is more than a little disquieting to hear Harrington describe any optimism he might express about the state of his swing as “clutching at straws” although we hope his “consultations” with his swing and mental coaches, Bob Torrance and Bob Rotella can have a Lazarus-like effect on his game before Thursday. It’s a massive week for Harrington bidding to become only the second player in the 20th or 21st centuries to capture the Claret Jug for the third successive year.
Australian Peter Thomson did so in 1954-1956 but amazingly multi champions and legendary names like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Henry Cotton, Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, JH Taylor, James Braid and even Harry Vardon, the man with the record number of titles (six), never managed the feat.
Given his rather morose mood following last week’s win at the IPGA, some were left to wonder if he may be crying “wolf” in an attempt to keep the inevitable pressure and expectation involved in going for a hat-trick of Opens as low as possible.
That could well be the case and while it is no great shakes to beat a field of such poor quality at the European Club by seven strokes, his scoring on a golf course which has countless similarities to Turnberry, was reasonably impressive.
He finished one under for the 72 holes and I have no doubt that he could have dipped lower had there been need to do so. He experienced all sorts of weather conditions last week and that should stand to him here as well given the distinctly unfavourable forecast.
THE very least we hope for from Harrington this week is that he should play all four rounds and achieve his goal of being in touch going into the back nine on Sunday evening. The other side of the coin – a sixth successive missed cut and the ninth of the year so far – is too awful to ponder.
And if it’s not to be Harrington, the bookies feel McIlroy is the one most likely to keep the Irish interest alive to the end.
Again, there is reason to believe he could do just that although you have to wonder if it’s not asking too much of a 20 year-old playing his first Open Championship as a professional.
He does revel on the big occasion as he demonstrated with a 20th place at the Masters follow by 10th at the US Open. If that trend were to be maintained, the outcome would be something very exciting.
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