Watson offers words of wisdom to Harrington

Padraig Harrington began his last round as Open champion with words of advice from the man who could succeed him ringing in his ears.

Harrington’s bid for a third straight Open title came to grief yesterday with a third round of 76, a nine over par total, meaning the Dubliner was among the early starters in the final round at Turnberry today.

The 37-year-old had been struggling for form before arriving in Scotland, missing the cut in his last five events in Europe and America, after making radical changes to his swing over the winter.

And veteran Tom Watson, looking to win an amazing sixth Open title – 34 years after his first and at the age of 59 – believes those changes have been a mistake.

“I look at Padraig Harrington right now, he shortened his swing and I think he’s having troubles because of it,” said Watson, who was one shot clear of Australian Mathew Goggin and England’s Ross Fisher going into the final round.

“I liked the length of the swing last year, and now he’s shortened the swing and he’s having a hard time with it. You lose your rhythm when you shorten the swing.

“I’ve always had a long swing. When I was a kid my dad said ’Shorten your swing’. If you do, it’s hard to go longer once you shorten the swing.

“And my old pro, Stan Thirsk said, ’Don’t listen to your dad. When you get to be an old guy, that long swing will really do you well, because you’ll have that rhythm, like now.”

Harrington dropped shots at the second and sixth this morning to lie 11 over par, 15 shots behind Watson, who was not due out until 2:20pm alongside Goggin.

Fisher and fellow Englishman Lee Westwood were in the penultimate group teeing off 10 minutes earlier, Westwood two off the lead on two under.