Harrington ‘less keen’ on leading Europe

Pádraig Harrington wants to play in the 2016 Ryder Cup but admits he was so daunted by Paul McGinley’s sensational captaincy that he is now "less keen" to be captain himself.

Harrington was called in at the 11th hour to be one of McGinley’s five assistants at Gleneagles but having once believed the vice-captains were on “a jolly” he had his eyes opened as to the huge level of commitment required from the man who leads Europe.

Taking himself out the running for the captaincy at Hazeltine in Minnesota in two years’ time, Harrington agreed that Darren Clarke, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thomas Bjorn were among the top candidates for 2016, adding: “Not me anyway.”