Crocked Harrington may skip Seattle practice

Padraig Harrington may not risk a practice round before this week’s £3m (€4.7m) NEC world championship in Seattle.

The 30-year-old Dubliner again has Australian physiotherapist Dale Richardson with him as he recovers from the neck injury which almost forced him to withdraw from the United States PGA championship on Saturday.

“I’ll be guided by Dale, but maybe rest is the right thing,” said Harrington.

“He’s always keen to get players playing, but I don’t want to swing any more than I have to while there’s a problem.

“That’s not because of any pain, but because I don’t want to create any bad habits. You don’t swing the same when you’re inhibited in some way.

“If necessary I’ll just tee it up in the first round on Thursday. Depending how the neck is I might practise Wednesday, but if there’s any restriction I might just do some chipping and putting.”

The Sahalee course is where the 1999 US PGA took place, but Harrington was not part of that.

To suffer first a twisted ankle and then the neck was a big let-down last week after finishing the first three majors of the season fifth, eighth and fifth.

In the circumstances Harrington was delighted to manage 17th spot and with one shot less would have been top 10 again and joint top European with Sergio Garcia and Pierre Fulke.

Garcia did have top 10s in all four majors and was the only player this year to do that. Tiger Woods had two wins and a second, but was 28th at Muirfield last month.