Harrington ‘trusts’ game but plays down chances

PADRAIG HARRINGTON may have turned a corner with his game of late but with one day left before the Masters gets under way at Augusta National, he has played down suggestions he is ready to add to his three-major haul with immediate effect.

The changes to Harrington’s game have been made over the last months and years since the Irishman won three majors in six starts between 2007-08 and he got back on the winning trail for the first time again last October. Speaking two weeks ago at his home club Stackstown, he said he was never happier with his game and on the eve of the first major of the year, with his best finish of the season, a T8 at last Sunday’s Shell Houston Open, fresh in the memory, 39-year-old Harrington promised more majors in the years to come, only maybe just not yet.

“This is the week of the Masters. You want to bring your game this week. There is an element of me that I’m happy and wouldn’t have changed anything coming into this,” Harrington said. “But I think I could be a better player over the next couple of months too.

“It’s not that I’ve changed anything for this. There is an element of going forward and that but I am focused on this week. But in the overall picture, as regards my game, I’m in a good place for the next how many years.

“So I’ll be competing in many majors in those years. I will get into contention in some of those majors and I will win some of them. I don’t want to put it all on this week, though. It would be silly to heap all of the pressure on, thinking I’ve got to turn out this week and play like this and if it doesn’t happen this week, something’s wrong with the programme. In fact, the programme is pretty good.”

Evidence of that was put forward last week at Redstone where Harrington gained his second top-10 finish of the year, nine shots back on tournament winner Phil Mickelson.

“I certainly played very well at times,” Harrington said. “I’m very happy with where I am at, where my game is at and where I’m going. All that sort of stuff. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to play your best week or anything like that but I am comfortable with me.

“The signs are good. They are, there’s no doubt about that but there’s a lot of … yeah we’re focused on a big week and you never know with that end of things. Things are in a very good place now and going forward.”

Harrington said he had had “a nice chat” with sports psychologist Dr Bob Rotella for a couple of hours on Monday.

“It actually was very good, I’ve got to say. A couple of good things came out of it, as they always do. A few very good things.

“See, I’ve been very disciplined the last couple of months. Normally this week we’d be trying to get to grips with 101 Bob Rotella sort of stuff but now we can sort of get onto the next page and establish the few other things that’s happening in the game.”

Asked to explain, Harrington replied: “Just me. Nothing else. Just focusing on what I’m doing, looking after myself and that’s it.

“I’ve done all I can, that’s my attitude. I’m happy with what I’ve done and where I’m at and that. There’s still other little things. I was playing better than I played on the weekend in Houston, let’s say. So those sort of things are interesting. You obviously need a good week here to carry it through all the way. That’s going to be a tough thing but I’m not searching for anything at the moment.”

That sense of contentment, he explained came with the trust he has developed in his golf.

“I’ve a great trust in what I’m doing in and around the game. I would say I lacked a bit of trust on the golf course at times but in and around what I’m doing, I’m very happy with me, what I’m doing, and I’ve never had a better understanding. I feel good about where my game is at and there’s good clarity in it.”