McIlroy can be a contender, insists Pádraig

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON could talk forever on its nuances and a two-hour chat over tea and scones serves only to confirm one thing – when it comes to golf, the Almighty has a wicked sense of humour.

No matter how talented you are or how much time you spend trying to perfect a game that’s as convoluted as a 20,000 piece jigsaw, God will feed a few vital pieces of the puzzle to the dog when you aren’t looking.

“This is great thing about golf,” Harrington says, during a discussion on Rory McIlroy’s undoubted ability to take the pressure and perform on the PGA Tour this year. “Look at all the players, everybody is given something but they have a weakness somewhere else. You will not find a player that’s complete. They have all got real strengths and an area of weakness.”