Hard man Harrington

Pádraig Harrington insists his recent struggles are just part and parcel of sport and made him even tougher than before.

The 40-year old Dubliner has never lost faith in his ability to win more majors and after mounting a final round US Open charge that saw him threaten to snatch a fourth Grand Slam title and share fourth, he knows he’ll be back on everyone’s Major radar at the British Open at Royal Lytham next month. Up 19 spots to world No 75 after a closing 68 gave him a share of fourth, Harrington said: “Winning is a habit and the tough times make you more resilient.

“It is hard when you continually feel like you’re being judged and expectations are being built up around you while you are trying to do your own thing. It has made me more resilient. I’m harder. Anybody who knows me from my amateur days wouldn’t have thought it was possible for me to get harder. But I have. I am harder.”