Harrington a favourite at USPGA

Padraig Harrington is aiming to be the first European golfer to win a major title in three years, when the United States PGA championship starts on Thursday.

Paul Lawrie was the last to win a major - the 1999 Open.

That is the longest barren spell since the 1970s, between Tony Jacklin's US Open victory in 1970 and Seve Ballesteros' Open win in 1979.

Now, on the Hazeltine National course in Minnesota, where Jacklin triumphed, there is a real belief that one of the 23-strong band from across the Atlantic could win.

Tiger Woods is a strong favourite after getting back to winning ways in the Buick Open last Sunday. And Ernie Els has to be rated second favourite following the Open last month.

But Harrington has every reason for believing that this could be his week.

Eighth in the Masters in April and fifth in the US Open in June, Harrington would have been in the play-off with Els, Thomas Levet, Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington but for a closing bogey at Muirfield.

"I'm putting myself under more pressure and there's some expectations outside," says the Dubliner.

"I'm actually trying to play that down a bit. I'm just trying to treat it like a normal tournament.

"It's nice to have to deal with it. You come to these events and going into it many people might consider me as an outside chance, so that puts a certain amount of pressure on from day one.

"I'm going out there trying to stay in contention from the word go."

He added: "I chipped poorly in all of the majors, but it's just mentally - you've got to do the right things.''