Life good as major looms large

GOLF: Think of a colonial house straight out of Gone With The Wind. Take away the sunshine and the lemonade, and replace with incessant rain - and the occasional sound of thunder - and put a healthy, relaxed Irishman sitting on a bench under veranda.

Think of Padraig Harrington, the top European golfer in the official world rankings. Think of a man at ease with himself, and his game. Think of someone with his sights set on a major title.

Yesterday, for the first time since 1983, the gates in to Augusta National Golf Club didn't open to the public. Electrical storms in the morning, which dumped more than an inch of rain on the course, and the arrival of more thunder and lightning into the area later in the day, led to a fear for the safety of spectators and meant that the gates remained closed and the course was off limits to the players.

Harrington, for one, didn't complain. "It'll stop me from practising too much," he quipped. Known as one of the hardest workers on the circuit - one of the first on to the range, one of the last to leave - the Dubliner took a positive view of the inclement weather, recognising that some relaxation can actually be a good thing.

Despite missing the cut in the BellSouth last weekend, his first missed cut in almost 11 months, since last year's Volvo PGA at Wentworth, Harrington observed that he had actually played, but not scored, better in Atlanta than he did the previous week in Sawgrass when he was runner-up to Davis Love. "I played twice as good as I played in the Players, but scored four times as bad. I was really tired," he explained.

But there is no danger of any tiredness in his game for this week. "You're going to have the adrenalin flowing no matter what here," claimed Harrington, who finished tied-fifth last year. What's more, he feels comfortable at Augusta National. "It's great here, isn't it?" he remarked, lounging back on the bench.

And you couldn't but disagree, even if the weather was causing all kind of plans to be rearranged.

Indeed, the Masters is what Harrington has been planning for all along. It's the focal point of this early part of the season, and he admitted; "I've passed that line and, now, I have to say that I am ready. Three days to go? I don't think I can find anything more. I've just got to keep it as it is, do a little bit of practice on what's needed on this course, but not necessarily try to discover anything else," he insisted.

Life is good for Harrington these days, on and off the course. His wife, Caroline, is expecting the couple's first child in August - due the day after the US PGA, but he intends playing in Rochester - and, also, his dad Paddy, a strong influence in the player's career, has received good news in his battle with cancer of the oesophagus.

Initially diagnosed two weeks before last year's British Open - where Harrington was fifth, one shot outside a play-off - his father subsequently underwent surgery and treatment. Yesterday, though, Harrington revealed: "He has recovered well, has put back on weight and he's been told to get back playing golf . . . and I am so looking forward to having him around me again.

"He's always been there for me. When I go out hitting balls (in Stackstown) he picks up all the balls, does all the stuff. It'll be just great to have him back, to have his company. It's a comfort to have him there. While I was playing, he was always on my mind but I thought it would be good therapy for him if I went out there and played well."

Harrington put his missed cut in Atlanta down to sheer tiredness. "In the Players, I was in contention all the way through but was scoring better than I was playing. It was tough mentally," he said. The statistical elaboration of his play in Sawgrass was that, of the top-15, Harrington was only 14th in fairways hit and 11th in driving distance. In Atlanta, ironically, he felt his game was much improved.

It seems that the reason he missed so many fairways in Sawgrass was that, according to Harrington, "I was stretching my right side on the top of my back swing." He explained: "I've been working for years on trying to make my swing more upright. After I'd worked with Bob for a couple of days before travelling over here, he said to me, as I was going away, that working on this would probably make me stretch up my right side. But I never really paid full attention to what he said. It has to happen to you before you take notice of it."

Now that the little problem has been rectified, Harrington is looking forward to reacquainting himself with the course at Augusta. "I feel I know the course better than I did. The problem with this course is that you are never sure if you should to play safe, to go for the fat of the green, or when is the right time to take a chance.

"As for my game, you only ever know on that back nine on Sunday afternoon if your game is in shape. I never can tell before a tournament. But I think I've given it a good build-up and that I can be happy with it. This is a course that suits good putters and good thinkers. To be honest, you need a combination of everything."

While Harrington travelled down from Atlanta and checked in on Sunday, with caddie Davie McNeilly walking the course, the other Irishman in the field checked in yesterday morning. Darren Clarke, who flew home to spend some time with his family in England between the Players and the Masters, had a session - during the short time players were permitted on the range between thunderstorms - with Butch Harmon on the range. Weather permitting, he has a practice round planned with Tiger Woods today.

However, the forecast is that the more thunderstorms are due and, with an inch and a half of rain falling yesterday, a similar amount is anticipated today. All of which will leave the course playing soft and long . . . although the forecast for the weekend is considerably better, with temperatures returning to the 70s.

Meanwhile, Thomas Bjorn withdrew from the field yesterday, citing family medical reasons for his decision.