Harrington’s eyes firmly fixed on Fota

Pádraig Harrington insists he would crawl out of his “death bed” rather than miss the Irish Open from June 19-22.

But if he’s to head to Fota Island direct from the previous week’s US Open at Pinehurst, he must first put himself through the agony of teeing it up in the International Sectional Qualifier at Walton Heath on May 26.

“Absolutely, 100%,” Harrington said during an Irish Open photo-call at Stackstown Golf Club. “The last time I played in a qualifier for a major was for the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie.