Harrington: Pressure no problem for McIlroy

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON believes Rory McIlroy should feel no extra pressure as the 22-year-old US Open champion heads into this week’s British Open as red-hot favourite.

With that eight-stroke victory at Congressional Country Club last month still fresh in everybody’s minds, the installation of McIlroy at the head of the betting market for the third major of the year, starting this Thursday at Royal St George’s in Kent, could be seen as piling unwanted additional pressure on the Holywood golfer.

Yet three-time major winner Harrington, who won back-to-back majors himself in 2008 when he added the US PGA Championship at Oakland Hills to his successful defence of the Auld Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale three years ago this week, believes McIlroy is at the stage where he will be impervious to the extra weight of expectation.

“I think Rory’s at a saturation point,” Harrington said. “You can throw more pressure on him but he’s already at the point that more pressure doesn’t show up anymore.

“You can only be at so much pressure and pouring more and more on top, it’s just spilling out now. It’s not going to add to his week.

“That’s the way I felt about it. You get a certain level of pressure, that’s it the distraction, there you are. Add more to it, well, it doesn’t feel like anymore. In his world, there’s unbelievable focus.”

Having won the 2008 PGA, Harrington headed into the next major, the 2009 Masters amidst talk of a Paddy Slam but the Irishman believes McIlroy is in perfect shape to handle anything and has done the right thing in taking a break from tournament play between majors.

“You feel the outside focus is incredible. But once you get to the boiling point, that’s it. You can add more but it doesn’t make it anymore difference.”

While McIlroy relaxed with a Saturday morning round at Royal County Down having played Royal St George’s twice earlier last week, Harrington and many of his other rivals were finishing their British preparations at a storm-battered Castle Stuart Golf Links in the Barclays Scottish Open.

And the two-time British Open champion, who will arrive in Sandwich with more majors than any other European in the field, said he believed this year’s course will not be the ideal layout to suit his Ryder Cup team-mate Lee Westwood’s chances of finally making his majors breakthrough.

“I would not pick Lee as the most likely to win at Sandwich,” said Harrington, who praised the English world number two’s fearless approach to golf.

“He’s not world number one, but is right there and I think he has a chance of winning at Sandwich but he wouldn’t be my favourite. I don’t think it’s his golf course, and maybe that will help him, maybe the pressure will be slightly off him.

“I would pick a venue like Congressional, a big, tough challenge, as a golf course for Lee to win on. “Not a tricky golf course. It’s not it’s a big-hitter’s course. Yes, you want to be a straight hitter, but it’s tricky enough, I think, that it doesn’t necessarily suit his game. It doesn’t mean he can’t win there, but I won’t be picking it out.

“Lee would be more competitive on Muirfield, real solid strong, links golf course.”