Harrington keen to take sting out of ‘Snake Pit’

If Pádraig Harrington needed any inspiration to end a more than five-year winless drought he could again find it at the ‘Snake Pit’ in this week’s Valspar Championship at Tampa Bay.

Harrington is making his fourth appearance in the Florida event and two years after a career low and Copperhead course record 61 on the opening day of the 2012 event.

It remains Harrington’s lowest score on any of the major tours, and over a course where the last three holes are affectionately known as the ‘Snake Pit’.

“It was great to shoot 61 but now I am trying to figure out how I did it,” he said.

“I know I birdied the last three holes including a big, long putt on 17 so it’s nice to come back here to a golf course knowing I have gone very low in the past.

“And the course has hardly changed in the two years since I was last here.”

After taking a week’s break, that included attending last Thursday’s Irish Golf Writers dinner at Portmarnock, Harrington will contest the next four events on the PGA Tour schedule including next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Valero Texas Open and the Shell Houston Open.

A victory in any of those would see Harrington qualify for next month’s Masters, thereby extending a 14-year unbroken run since making his Augusta debut in 2000.

In contrast to Harrington, Darren Clarke is making his debut in the $5.7m event, having added the tournament to his 2014 schedule after being forced out through injury following a first day 78 in the Northern Trust Open.

Clarke then contested the Honda Classic but was cut from the event with a 15-over par tally.

He got his first look at this week’s host venue whizzing around the course in two-and-a-half hours late on Tuesday after driving down from West Palm Beach where his ISM management company has a house where he’s been residing in.

“After having to withdraw from the event in L.A I’ve got a good run coming up with this week, next week at Bay Hill, a week off and then the Shell Houston Open and the Masters,” he said. “I’ve now fully shaken off the chest injury I had and the strange thing I was never really prone to injury but unfortunately it’s only been of late that I’ve been injuring myself. I was really better off when I was fat as I never got injured so c’est la vie.”

Clarke’s new slimline look continues to generate conversation with one spectator asking for a photograph standing alongside the former British Open winner before remaking; “Darren you are my hero to lose weight.”

Harrington will tee up in round one at 12.40pm local time (4.40pm Irish) while Clarke is out at 1.30pm (5.40pm Irish).