Harrington accepts learning curve

Sporting contradictions? Padraig Harrington lost to the world number three, and yet walked away a winner in a broader sense. "I've learned a lot from today, which isn't a bad thing," said the Dubliner, comprehensively beaten 7 and 6 by Colin Montgomerie in the World Matchplay Championship semi-final on Saturday, but still searching for the positive.

Time was when such a drubbing would have hurt. Deep down, perhaps it still does. But Harrington has come on a lot in the past few months, both mentally and technically, and knows that there is further room for improvement. Such lessons from the master are part and parcel of the learning curve. "Hey, everything changes," he quipped.

Indeed, Montgomerie, rather than basking in his latest win, went out of his way to praise the Irishman's progress.

"Padraig has been proving himself a world player over the last couple of months," remarked Montgomerie. "I played with him the last two rounds of the BMW and he did awfully well to make the Ryder Cup team, and did well in it. It is always difficult to come up against someone who is on form like that. It has to rate as a very good win for me."

Monty added: "Padraig has done well here. He had a very tough draw. We all know how good Carlos Franco is, and to come through on the 38th against Ernie Els was a tremendous victory. Possibly the best matchplay win of his career.

"And then to meet me as well? It has been a very tough draw for him. I think it is unfair to the people, like Padraig, who are unseeded. He has won two games, and I have won two games. I am in the final, and he has gone home. Something wrong."

Whatever about the fairness or unfairness of a system that gives the top four seeds a rest day while the others battle it out over 36 holes on the first day, Harrington, who refused to use tiredness as an excuse, was more concerned with focusing on what to take away from his debut in the championship.

"I know I've learned a lot, but it is hard to put a finger on exactly what it is," said Harrington.

"Years ago, when I was 16, I would play a match against one of the more experienced guys and might lose that match. And I would go home to my dad (Paddy) and I would ask what I have to do? What do I have to practice? Tell me what it is. My chipping? My putting? My long game? And my dad would say, `Well, it is just experience'.

"I certainly learned a few things today that will help me in the future, but you can't put your finger on it and say definitely that is it. I know I am going to be better mentally next time round. Overall, in the long run, I will be better."

Harrington took away £50,000 for reaching the semi-finals - a feat last achieved by an Irishman back in 1989 when Ronan Rafferty reached the same stage - but the win was always out of his reach after Montgomerie established a five-hole lead after Saturday morning's first round.

"It was just a tough day," claimed Harrington. "I just putted so badly all day and it meant if I hit a bad shot I was struggling."

In fact, Harrington hit two shots out-of-bounds over the closing four holes of that first round. His tee-shot on the 15th and a threewood approach to the 17th, when the ball hit the limb of a tree and bounced left rather than right. An unlucky bounce as much as anything else.

But it meant that Harrington had a mountain to climb in the afternoon. In reality, there was no way back. Montgomerie single-putted five greens from the fourth in the second round to effectively close the door on any potential fightback.

"It is difficult when you are looking at the opposition and he is just bolting in the putts," admitted Harrington. "Monty playing his best is phenomenal, and he is great under pressure. That is all that counts."