Harrington gets confidence boost

CAROLINE Harrington was the toast of the Harrington family on Sunday evening after her husband qualified in incredible fashion for the lucrative FedEx Cup play-off on the PGA US Tour.

Husband Pádraig may have hit the shots and holed the putts that enabled him claim the 124th and second last qualifying spot for the multi million dollar event but he wouldn’t have been in North Carolina for the Wyndham Championship only for her urgings.

The plan was to take a family holiday in the Bahamas after the USPGA Championship but when Harrington was well off the pace at the halfway stage of that event, Caroline intervened and advised that he should post a late entry for the Wyndham in a bid to secure qualification for the FedEx Cup play-off.

Pádraig complied, while believing that a top 30 finish was the least he required to make it to this week’s Barclays Championship at Plainfield, New Jersey. He played solidly, shooting rounds of 69, 68, 69 and 68 for six under — 12 shots behind winner, Webb Simpson, in a share of 47th. Onfinishing his round, Harrington, believed his chance of the FedEx was gone. “Why do I do it to myself? I never like to make things easy formyself. I got into a great position, hitting it down the flag all day. I had some great chances but twice missed inside six feet on the back nine, once for birdie.”

However several of those ahead of him in the rankings either missed the cut or had not entered the event. One of the tournament leaders, John Mallinger, needed to win or be second on his own but he drifted out ofcontention. Justin Leonard had to par the last to crash the top 125. Instead, he took bogey and finished 126th! In the end, luck, for once, was onHarrington’s side. He claimed 124th place with only William McGirtbetween him and elimination.

The change in fortune has put a fresh bounce into Harrington’s step and he now heads for the Barclays (a tournament he won in 2005) with his confidence boosted.

Many insist that it’s a lack ofconfidence, especially with his putting, that has largely contributed to Harrington’s slump and this may just be the spur to inspire a man whocelebrates his 40th birthday next week to great deeds.

He declared: “I will be positive now about the Barclays. It is a greatopportunity for me. Four good weeks and I win the FedEx Cup andsuddenly it’s a great year for me and that’s what the play-offs are all about.

“It gives everyone an opportunity.”

For that to happen, he must be among the top hundred in the points list after the Barclays to qualify for the following week’s Deutsche Bank tournament. It’s down to 70 for the BMW Championship the week after that with the top 30 contesting the Tour Championship at East Lake Country Club, Atlanta, on September 22-25.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods declined to take up the offer of a place in the Wyndham field. Had he done so and finished anywhere in the top 40, he would also be on his way to the FedEx. Instead, he stayed at home and suffered the ignominy of a warning from Fred Couples that he would not receive a President’s Cup “wild card” for the US team to play the Rest of the World in Australia in November unless he played a few tournaments in the meantime!