Woods backs Harrington’s swing changes

TIGER WOODS has again backed Pádraig Harrington for seeking changes in his swing that will make the Irishman an even better player.

Although they didn’t discuss the subject – or apparently very much anything else either – when they played together in the US Open at Bethpage last month, Woods said at the time that he understood what Harrington was trying to do, even if he did miss the halfway cut by six shots. He reiterated that view again yesterday although he avoided any mention of Harrington’s five successive missed cuts and poor run of form that has seen him slip from 3rd at the beginning of the year to 14th in the world rankings.

“We didn’t talk a whole lot while we were playing at Bethpage as we were both focused on what we were trying to do,” said Woods. “At the time he was struggling a little bit. He grinded pretty hard and getting up and down from where he was on the second day was pretty phenomenal.