Paul McGinley on Padraig Harrington's chances at The Open and Rory McIlroy's superstar status

Harrington lifted the famous Claret Jug for the second year in a row in 2008 and has been in good form recently in the US Senior Open

STILL COMPETITIVE: Pádraig Harrington chips to the green on the 11th hole during the first round of the US Open golf tournament recently. Picture: AP Photo/George Walker IV

The weather gods may be against Padraig Harrington as far as Paul McGinley is concerned but Europe’s 2014 Ryder Cup-winning captain is not ruling out the 54-year-old from making an impact at The Open Championship next week.

Harrington successfully defended his US Senior Open crown in Ohio last weekend to add a fourth over-50s major to the three that have earned him World Golf Hall of Fame status. And next week will see him return to the scene of his most famous back-to-back success, when he lifted the Claret Jug for the second year in a row with his victory at Royal Birkdale in 2008.

For McGinley, there are parallels to be drawn with Tom Watson’s memorable Open title bid at Turnberry in 2009, 32 years on from his 1977 success in the same championship, the American was denied a ninth major title only in a play-off with Stewart Cink.

Asked this week as he helped to announce EY as the first presenting sponsor of the Junior Ryder Cup, set to be played in Limerick next year at Ballyneety and Adare Manor, McGinley was asked about the chances of Harrington turning back the years and producing another stellar week on the Lancashire links at Birkdale.

Battler

“Yeah, I mean, why not?,” he said. “I mean Tom Watson at 59… I think Padraig needs bad weather. If it's bad weather, his attitude is so good, and he's so good in the bad weather, and he loves fighting and battling.

“If it's weather like this, you know, the American players particularly will just be able to overpower the golf course and do their thing, but yeah, if it gets a bit gnarly and a bit windy, and a bit difficult, and guys get frustrated, that certainly wouldn’t rule Padraig out.

“The way he plays still, how competitive he still is, and on a links golf course… I think his days of winning the Masters, or winning the US Open are gone, but not of winning the Open Championship. 

That is the one, as Tom Watson proved, where, you know, the old wily player can still compete.” 

There will be seven Irishmen flying the flag at the 154th edition of golf oldest major with amateur duo David Howard, from Fota Island, and newly-minted British Amateur champion Stuart Grehan adding to the pro contingent of Harrington and fellow former Open winners Darren Clarke and Shane Lowry, Tom McKibbin and reigning Master champion Rory McIlroy.

For all the focus currently on Irish golf courses, with Tralee hosting last week’s Palmer Cup, the Walker Cup set to be staged at Lahinch in early September and Adare Manor preparing for the 2027 Ryder Cup in 14 months, McGinley believes the major successes delivered by McIlroy and company are every bit as important for the future success of Irish golf.

“I think there's no doubt that success from tour players in particular invigorates the young ones coming behind,” McGinley said. “And there's no doubt about that, wherever I go, and from somebody who travels a lot around the world, we really underappreciate how big a brand Rory McIlroy is.

I mean, it's superstardom that he has. 

"He goes to America, hes the only person that people want to talk about or see when it comes to tournaments, so when we have a young icon like that, and he is young, and he's the inspiration for all of these young players from all around the world, you can imagine what it's doing for young Irish players too.

“I always ask them, I always kid them, you know, who's your favourite player? It's always Rory, 9 out of 10 it's Rory, and I think we're very fortunate to have that.

Elite

“Padraig is still going strong, and he does great stuff for junior golf, and his stuff on YouTube is amazing for people who are picking it up and want it, because kids now consume golf that way. So having the success at the elite level, that all filters down, and I think that's what we've benefited from Ireland, not just in terms of the courses.

EY Ireland Managing Partner, Frank O'Keeffe with Paul McGinley at the sponsorship of the Junior Ryder Cup. Picture: Naoise Culhane.

“What JP (McManus) has done in Adare has raised the bar even higher from where Mount Juliet and K Club were, so again, everything's getting pulled forward, and then just look at the numbers that are playing, just look how busy every single golf course is in Ireland, it's absolutely peaking at the moment, golf, so it's prime time.

“And hopefully, you know, there's a little bit of a lull now in terms of players, boys and girls, coming off the top amateur ranks, and hitting the ground running on tour, there's a lull there, you know, hopefully we can fill that in the next few years, and sometimes it does come in waves... we need to hopefully have a run in the other direction soon, but certainly those big events are what give the inspiration.

“I can only speak from my own experience, what inspired me to be a golfer, aside from my dad was playing, but what inspired me more than anything was going to Portmarnock and Royal Dublin as a 15, 16, 17 year old, on the bus from Rathfarnham, all the way out there, walking up the causeway, or walking out to Portmarnock, and just being around professional golfers, and those names that you saw on TV, and just looking at them, and getting caught in their aura, and watching how they hit the ball.

“You can talk all you want about growing the game, but that grows the game more than anything else, that attraction to elite level, I think that's really important, and we're very fortunate in Ireland that we've got great places to showcase these events, like I say, Tralee, Adare, K Club, Ballyneety, it's going to be on the map worldwide now, we're looking forward to seeing that.”