Pádraig eyes appetiser for Open effort

It may be nearly five years since Pádraig Harrington last won a Major, but his reception yesterday in the local McDonald’s in Inverness indicated he had lost none of his popularity.

Harrington joined the queue ordering a McFlurry, but then found himself signing autographs and also have his photograph taken by dozens of surprised golf-loving patrons.

However, what Harrington would savour most in this week’s Scottish Open and ahead of next week’s Open Championship at Muirfield is winning recognition on the golf course.

On both occasions he won golf’s oldest major, Harrington had tasted success in the Irish PGA Championship on Pat Ruddy’s beloved European Club course at Brittas Bay.

“The good thing is that when I won my two Opens back-to-back, I had actually won back-to-back in a links tournament the week before each Open win,” he said.

“I really hope that I can leave Castle Stuart here with a sense of calmness and preparedness in my game that I’m ready for The Open,” he said.

And Harrington sides with the absent and fellow Irishman Graeme McDowell who may even be denied service in McDonald’s after his recent comments the Scottish Open has lost some of its prestige since it moved to the Gil Hanse designed Castle Stuart course in 2011.

“Castle Stuart is not a golf course for Graeme McDowell as it has big fairways, and is a big golf course and it’s not made for him,” said Harrington.

“We saw last week in France, he loves the athlete’s golf course, really tight. That’s why I can understand he liked Loch Lomond (won there in 2008).”