Pádraig ready to press reset

AS THE Race to Dubai now nears the victory tape, Pádraig Harrington is already in the starting blocks for next season.

A superb up-and-down bunker shot for par at the last in Sunday’s concluding UBS Hong Kong Open ended what Harrington described as “a year not to remember”.

His season began with disqualification from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, after a TV viewer reported his ball had moved when he removed his marker, without Harrington knowing. The event prompted the R&A and USGA to enact ‘Harrington’s Rule’. He then contested a further 17 Race to Dubai counting events an 11 regular PGA Tour events with a best of third in his defence of the Iskandar Johor Open.

“It just hasn’t been my year this year as I started in Abu Dhabi and it really didn’t go for me after that,” he said.

“So overall it’s certainly been a year not to remember. But having an extra week off is not going to hurt me. My game is in pretty good shape and there’s not much to work on. What I need now more than anything is rest.”

Harrington left Hong Kong also ending his 16th and poorest season ever on Tour officially ranked 67th on the Race to Dubai. His previous worst was 2005 when he finished 32nd but was also a year Harrington captured his first and second victories on the PGA Tour.

However Harrington’s never been one to dwell on negatives and was his quintessential upbeat self in admitting he also is not about to alter his schedule heading into a new season.

“No, I won’t do anything different next year and I wouldn’t be changing anything as it will be a pretty similar schedule to this year. There was no golfing highlight for me in the year, definitely not. But then my injuries have cleared up and I am happy with my swing.

“So in many ways it was a very positive year off the golf course but it just didn’t translate into results.

“So I am in a good position now both physically and mentally, and also technically, so those three are in good stead.

“And you know what? I don’t have anything to do over my time off. I will go and hit balls but once for me I will get some quality rest and begin resetting. That will be more important than anything else.

“I won’t be looking for anything. I’ve got some quality time ahead with Caroline and the children. I needed a break and the longer break the better for me.”

But don’t expect any dust to settle on Harrington’s Wilson Staff tools of trade as the moment he arrived home from Hong Kong, he was well into 2012 competition mode.

“The next six to seven weeks before Abu Dhabi will be all about gearing up for 2012 and getting myself ready,” he said.

“Everything will be calculated so that I get the right amount of rest, the right amount of training and the right amount of practice.”