Harrington rues Wentworth absence

Padraig Harrington is “absolutely gutted” that he is not fit enough to play in this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

A knee injury will keep the 39-year-old Dubliner out.

He said tonight: “It was feeling really good at the weekend and I was thinking I might have pulled out a bit early.

“But it’s gone from acute pain to persistent niggling pain and it seems the physios know a thing or two.”

Harrington was at nearby Sunningdale in his role as a Royal and Ancient Club ambassador for a clinic with schoolchildren brought together by the Golf Foundation charity.

He was also attending the European Tour’s awards dinner at a Heathrow hotel, but next up for him is the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix.

“I’ve never been to a grand prix, but I can’t sit at home watching another tournament and I’m basically going to have a week’s holiday to get me away from the temptation of practising.”

He expects to start that again in the middle of next week on a trip to Sandwich, venue for this July’s Open Championship, while his next tournament is in Memphis on June 9-12, a week before the US Open.