Padraig Harrington: 'I expected the nerves, I didn't expect the emotion'

Padraig Harrington searches for his ball on the 11th hole during day one of The 153rd Open Championship. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Padraig Harrington had prepared diligently for the honour of playing the first shot at the 153rd Open.

The two-time champion golfer of the year shaved the night before to save himself five minutes after an alarm that he set for 4am. He prepared for the ceremonial tee shot by hitting the planned 3-iron almost three dozen times on the range.

What he wasn’t ready for was the well of emotion as he approached that first tee, not least because he had spotted an empty grandstand coming off the range, but one that was quickly filled as those queuing patiently were ushered in.

“I expected the nerves, I didn't expect that [emotion]. So I did have to adjust myself for that.” 

It was, said the 53-year-old, special. His first swing left him smack bang in the middle of the fairway and he followed it up with a second 3-iron to 15 feet and a birdie putt that he made and gave him a "serious buzz".

Things soured after that, the Dubliner carding a four-over 75 that included a double bogey on 10 when he lost his ball, much to his surprise after a shot that he thought had found some minor rough, off the tee.

“Through the start maybe there was a little bit of hype in it, the three-putting 3 and 4. I just struggled. Three three-putts in the first seven holes, it just kills you when you're always thinking about your pace as you're standing over the ball.

“You're always questioning your lines.

“Yeah, it was a tough day on the greens, and it just ate into my game. Might have been a little bit of the fact that I was hyped up for the 1st tee box. Who knows? Certainly felt like I played better, could have played better, should have played better, scored better.

“I don't feel like there's anything wrong with my putting, and I had a horrible day on the greens. It's one of those things. That's the nature of the game, links golf. I'd love to be… yeah, I'd love to be a bit better, but it wasn't for a lack of trying.” 

Tom McKibbin, one of his two playing partners for the morning, couldn’t beat the par 71 either. A bogey at the last consigned the Ulsterman to a one-over round that included his own double bogey, his one coming at the 11th.

The 22-year-old was two-over after three and then joint leader, at two-under, at one point, but he described his round as a mix of some good and bad after struggling on the wind off the left through most of the round.

Like Harrington, who wasn’t thrilled to be reminded of Rory McIlroy’s travails at the first tee on opening day at Royal Portrush in 2019, McKibbin had spent plenty of time thinking about that first shot before his alarm call at 3.30am.

“I think Rory's made that tee shot a lot scarier,” he joked. “That's all I could probably think about for the last three days. I wouldn't say I was too nervous. I just didn't really want to hit that bad of a shot. Yeah, I was very happy to get it sort of underway.

“Yeah, a little bit nervous and a little bit scared of hitting that shot.”