Harrington takes practice option

The one time in his life that Padraig Harrington has competed in a tournament without visiting the practice ground all week he won it – the dunhill links championship last year.

But tempting though it might be, it is not something Ireland’s world number nine – known for his work ethic – is repeating for his return to Scotland to defend the title this week.

Harrington – once again partnering businessman and racehorse owner JP McManus in the £2.9m (€4.18m) celebrity pro-am event starting tomorrow at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns – is thinking long term, not short term.

“The creatures we are, we put in the practice – you have to if you want to get better over time,” he said.

“I’ve spent five years trying to get my swing up to scratch – and undoubtedly I’ve become very obsessed about it.

“When I have a young family and don’t have as much time I hope I won’t have to work so hard. I hope I’ll be like Colin Montgomerie and have a low-maintenance swing.”

The reason Harrington – father of a month-old son – did not practice for the money-spinning event last season was that the tournament followed on from the Ryder Cup, the most draining week in golf.

He wanted to save his energies for the course rather than the range, and it worked a treat. He beat Eduardo Romero in a play-off – and he and McManus won the team event as well, for a double worth approaching £550,000 (€793,000).

“It was totally out of character. But I wanted to win so badly, and having that as my sole focus carried me through. Swing-wise I was very poor, but having an amateur partner I was not hung up about it.

“JP helped me to win without a doubt. There were other things happening – I was not on my own.”

The format – with stars of stage, screen and sport all coming together for what is called “a celebration of links golf” – makes the tournament unique on the European circuit.

Because rounds take so long, it is not to everyone’s liking. Retief Goosen has decided to miss it this time – and on its first staging two years ago the weather was bad, the crowds were poor and some of the press coverage savagely critical.

But Harrington is a big fan, simply because it is different and he can do some star-gazing as well.

“I was in the lift with Hugh Grant [Montgomerie’s partner] but didn’t say anything to him because maybe he does not know me. I saw Samuel L Jackson [Nick Faldo’s partner] at the pro-am party and thought ‘He is cool, isn’t he?’

“You look at stars and go ‘Wow’. Nothing about this week is the same as any other week, and it makes you feel special that these people want to come and play with you.

“It’s not just a tournament. It’s a big show. Some people don’t love the amateur format and think it’s a hindrance, but personally I think it’s brilliant to see these people in real life.”

The golfing talent on view includes world number two Ernie Els, number three Vijay Singh, former Open champion Nick Price and current US PGA champion Shaun Micheel who like Els has his father as his partner.

Sam Torrance, meanwhile, introduces his teenage son Daniel to the stage - while two more combinations that illustrate the nature of the event are Ronan Rafferty with model Jodie Kidd and Paul McGinley with former American vice-president Dan Quayle.

With the event spread over three courses on the first three days – the final round is at St Andrews on Sunday – Paul Lawrie has another chance to return to Carnoustie, scene of his 1999 Open championship triumph, and in fact the last major win by any European.

Lawrie today unveiled a plaque on Carnoustie’s sixth hole commemorating the 50th anniversary of Ben Hogan’s victory on the links. The hole is now known as ‘Hogan’s Alley’, and all players practising were invited to play the hole Hogan-fashion – with a 1953 driver and small ball.

Tomorrow it is back to modern technology and the race to be Europe’s number one this season.

Els leads that, but the seven players immediately behind him - Darren Clarke, Ian Poulter, Thomas Bjorn, Harrington, Phil Price, Paul Casey and Adam Scott – are all present.