Harrington returns to scene of glory

Padraig Harrington has said that while he felt guilty about withdrawing from last week's Seve Trophy he believes it was the right decision.

The 36-year-old British Open champion pulled out of the match between Britain and Ireland and Continental Europe in Killenard, Co Laois citing fatigue and injury.

Crowds at the Heritage course were affected by his withdrawal and the absence of any Irishman in the matchplay event. "I did feel bad when I tuned in and watched it Thursday and Friday. It was suggested I just turn up and play golf, it wouldn't be very stressful. But it's the preparing to play, the practice, the workout, to get you on the tee-box ready to play.

"I was hoping it would be the best-attended tournament in Ireland and I would feel good about my non-attendance. But I do believe I made the right decision for me.

"Something was going to break and it was probably going to be me. I wouldn't have been able to play anyway, with the back injury coming along," said Harrington, who also decided not to play in the World Cup for Ireland.

Fewer than 5,000 spectators watched the event all week, when at least that many were expected to turn up each day to see the Dubliner play.

Harrington returns to the scene of his British Open triumph, Carnoustie, for the opening round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship today and again faces the 18th hole that at first threatened to end his major hopes.

In July, Harrington twice found the Barry Burn on the 18th, but survived his errors to defeat Spaniard Sergio Garcia in a four-hole playoff. Harrington said he was glad to be starting at the 10th today.

"It'll be my ninth hole tomorrow. I've never walked on to the 18th at Carnoustie and felt that good about it ever since I hit out of bounds there (in the 1992 British Amateur Championship) against Stephen Dundas."

Ranked number one in the European rankings, Harrington been swamped by various media and corporate demands since landing his maiden Major crown.

"Obviously I would love to do the tour of everywhere with the Claret Jug, but I have to be responsible and take the rest. I have played too many events this year and next season I intend to play much less.

"I could still end up playing something like 32 or 33 events this year. Look at Tiger Woods for example. He might play just 18 or 19 events this year. I'm going to be playing twice as many as the world number one. We have to learn from the best player in the world about pinpointing events."

Meanwhile, a resurgent Lee Westwood begins his challenge in the €3.6 million links championship confident he is now in the throes of a second coming.

The 34-year-old - fresh from his commanding five-shot victory in the British Masters at the Belfry less than two weeks ago - forms part of an all-star cast competing at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns on the east coast of Scotland.

Westwood won the Dunhill title in 2003 and heads into this week's championship hoping he can continue to mine the rich vein of form he has discovered over the past month.

During a run of tournaments in September - the Johnnie Walker championship, the European Masters and the Mercedes Benz championship - the English Ryder Cup player racked up a trio of top 10 finishes before notching his second tour win of the 2007 campaign - and the 18th of a prolific career - at the Belfry.

Westwood, who has hoisted himself up to the 12th place on the circuit's order of merit, has immersed himself in a rigorous fitness regime for the last year and the former European number one insists he is now reaping the rewards of his work away from the fairways.

"I feel this is like a second career about to start and I do feel like I have turned the corner," said Westwood. "I've been working in the gym and on my fitness and the hard work I've done there is now paying off on the course.

"My body is in the right shape now and I can use the muscles in the correct way on the things I'm trying to implement on my swing. I remember talking to Ernie Els and he said to me five or six years ago that he wished he'd started working out earlier.

"When you're young you just feel bullet-proof and you don't feel you've got to do anything to your body. But you realise you do have to keep in shape.

"The game has changed so much over the years and players are now physically much stronger."(Brit unless stated, Irish in bold)

St Andrews GC - (From Hole One): 09.00 - I Garrido (Spa), JM Lara (Spa); 09.11 - J Edfors (Swe), S Hansen (Den); 09.22 - M Ilonen (Fin), T Levet (Fra); 09.33 - P Lawrie, S Kjeldsen (Den); 09.44 - A Haig (SA), G McDowell; 09.55 - S Gallacher, P Broadhurst; 10.06 - C Schwartzel (SA), P Martin (Spa); 10.17 - G Fdez-Castano (Spa), D Griffiths; 10.28 - P Fowler (Aus), B Dredge; 10.39 - B Rumford (Aus), D Park; 10.50 - C Phadungsil (Tha), K Sullivan; 11.01 - A Marshall, B Saltus (US); 11.12 - D Frost (SA), J Moseley (Aus); 11.23 - M Siem (Ger), J Moore (US). (From Hole 10): 09.00 - B Barham, M Murless (SA); 09.11 - M Erlandsson (Swe), P Gustafsson (Swe); 09.22 - G Lockerbie, A Canizares (Spa); 09.33 - S Jeppesen (Swe), C Nilsson (Swe); 09.44 - W Ormsby (Aus), M Tunnicliff; 09.55 - R Gonzalez (Arg), J-F Lima (Por); 10.06 - C Monasterio (Arg), J-F Lucquin (Fra); 10.17 - A Bland (Aus), S Kapur (Ind); 10.28 - G Orr, P Archer; 10.39 - R Finch, K Barnes (Aus); 10.50 - P Senior (Aus), B Lane; 11.01 - G Murphy, D McGrane; 11.12 - J Bickerton, K Ferrie; 11.23 - L Slattery, A Forsyth.

Carnoustie GC - (From Hole One): 09.00 - M Eliasson (Swe), G Bourdy (Fra); 09.11 - S Wakefield, A Canete (Arg); 09.22 - M Foster, D Diaz (Aus); 09.33 - H Otto (SA), T Pilkadaris (Aus); 09.44 - M Fraser (Aus), S Strange (Aus); 09.55 - M Pilkington, I Garbutt; 10.06 - F Molinari (Ita), J Hugo (SA); 10.17 - M Richardson, T Whitehouse; 10.28 - A Coltart, JM Singh (Ind); 10.39 - P-U Johansson (Swe), S Khan; 10.50 - G Houston, S Webster; 11.01 - J Randhawa (Ind), P Price; 11.12 - G Emerson, M Warren; 11.23 - R Jacquelin (Fra), E Canonica (Ita). (From Hole 10): 09.00 - N Fasth (Swe), J Van de Velde (Fra); 09.11 - L Westwood, Rory McIlroy; 09.22 - S Elkington (Aus), M Kaymer (Ger); 09.33 - M Campbell (NZ), J-F Remesy (Fra); 09.44 - R Sterne (SA), J Rose; 09.55 - P Harrington, Ian Poulter; 10.06 - D Howell, S McCarron (US); 10.17 - G Storm, H Stenson (Swe); 10.28 - D Clarke, E Els (SA); 10.39 - S O'Hair (US), MA Jimenez (Spa); 10.50 - C Montgomerie, N Faldo; 11.01 - P Casey, R Fisher; 11.12 - T Bjorn (Den), P McGinley; 11.23 - T Immelman (SA), L Donald.

Kingsbarns GC - (From Hole One): 09.00 - Z Scotland, R Echenique (Arg); 09.11 - G Havret (Fra), P O'Malley (Aus); 09.22 - T Moore (SA), J Kamte (SA); 09.33 - D McGuigan, J Kingston (SA); 09.44 - L Oosthuizen (SA), A McLean; 09.55 - J Axgren (Swe), A Noren (Swe); 10.06 - A Wall, T Aiken (SA); 10.17 - R Davies, C Rodgers; 10.28 - J Williamson (US), S Drummond; 10.39 - N Green (Aus), A Haindl (SA); 10.50 - D Lynn, P Hedblom (Swe); 11.01 - S O'Hara, R Rock; 11.12 - J Backstrom (Swe), S Dodd; 11.23 - C Suneson (Spa), D Carter. (From Hole 10): 09.00 - S Lyle, Mn Lafeber (Ned); 0911 - R Bland, R Jan Derksen (Ned); 09.22 - J Hepworth, T Price (Aus); 09.33 - J Parron (Spa), D Vancsik (Arg); 09.44 - S Torrance, L Saltman; 09.55 - R Karlsson (Swe), J Haeggman (Swe); 10.06 - N Dougherty, S Dyson; 10.17 - P Edberg (Swe), J Sandelin (Swe); 10.28 - O Fisher, M Bothma (SA); 10.39 - O Wilson, P Hanson (Swe); 10.50 - A Tadini (Ita), C Cevaer (Fra); 11.01 - M Millar (Aus), C Hanell (Swe); 11.12 - H Tanihara (Jpn), P Meesawat (Tha); 11.23 - V Groenewald (SA), A Da Silva (Bra).

First Round Tee-off Times