Harrington chases win with an eye on rankings

Padraig Harrington tries to do something this week he has yet to achieve in his career – successfully defend a title.

Europe’s leading golfer has turned down one of the sport’s richest events, the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa, to return to the Omega Hong Kong Open.

After finishing the last four Order of Merit seasons second, second, third and third this is the start of Harrington’s bid to add a number one to that sequence.

But it is to the world rankings that the 33-year-old Dubliner will mostly be looking in the new year – and on that score he would like to thank Vijay Singh for showing what is possible.

While Tiger Woods was at the top of the game the task of anybody older to get there looked so much harder.

But Singh has achieved it at the age of 41 and Harrington said today: “Vijay was behind me two or three years ago, but him getting to number one has made a lot of people think it can be done.

“I’ve entered that period where the next eight years should be my peak years.”

With only one win this year – at the German Masters on the eve of the Ryder Cup – Harrington has done well to climb from eighth to sixth. But now comes the really hard bit.

“There seems to be a Big Five at the moment,” he added, referring to Singh, Woods, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Phil Mickelson.

“I am at the top of the next group, but it needs a big jump for me to get from sixth to fifth.

“It’s a Major win really.”

Harrington never came close to that this season, finishing 13th in the Masters, 31st in the US Open, missing the halfway cut at the Open and having to settle for 45th at the US PGA.

That has helped shape what he calls an “erratic” year, but he thinks he knows one way that might improve matters. It is just a case of forcing himself to do it.

“I believe I have lost tournaments through practising too much and becoming tired by Sunday. I’m definitely overdoing it, but every sportsman is told that if you work harder you get better results and it’s the hardest thing in the world to change that.

“I’ve worked so hard so that one day I wouldn’t have to practise so much. That’s always been the goal and it’s just a matter of doing it now.”

Sitting nearby as he spoke was Ryder Cup team-mate Miguel Angel Jimenez, having the season of his life at 40.

“He’s the role model, somebody everyone on tour should look up to,” commented Harrington.

“He’s done the work and elevated himself to having the perfect attitude on the course.”

The laid-back Spaniard, hearing what Harrington said and well aware of his work ethic, replied: “Between the two of us I think we have the perfect golfer.”

Harrington next week brings 2004 to a close by flying to California for the Williams World Challenge, the tournament where he pipped Woods to the million-dollar first prize two years ago.

After that comes a nine-week break, but his focus at the moment is on this week.

He took the Hong Kong title last year with two closing birdies and also remembers clearly a chip on the 16th which he rates the best of his professional career so far.