Harrington happy to be at the Ocean

The three-time Major winner tells PHILIP REID that the World Cup win at Kiawah Island remains a career highlight

YESTERDAY, THE three wise men stood behind him on the range. Pete Cowen, the coach. Bob Rotella, the mind guru. Ronan Flood, the caddie. All watched, all listened and, on occasion, all gave their views as Pádraig Harrington positioned the driver behind the ball and sought to perfect the moment of impact and, even more so, the follow-through position.

As the clatter of thunder overhead signalled yet another downpour, Harrington stubbornly kept his place on the practice ground and hit balls until the session was brought to a premature end. He would be back later, between the rain storms, and, later again, the front nine holes – alongside the Italian Matteo Manassero – would be undertaken.

This is a happy hunting ground for Harrington, who won the World Cup – in tandem with Paul McGinley – here over the Ocean Course in 1997. The Dubliner has since gone on to win three Majors but he admits that World Cup success remains “a highlight”.

Now, he is back for a PGA championship that brings his last chance to automatically qualify for Europe’s Ryder Cup team. Rather than think about that, Harrington has parked that particular equation for the week and, instead, will focus on the tournament.

“I can’t concentrate on controlling something I have not got control over. I can sit and watch who’s getting in the team or how many picks are available or who’s getting them. Whether I win this week to get in? There are so many variables. I’ve just got to keep playing my golf and be content that I’m playing well,” said Harrington.

Harrington, who focused on working on his short game after the British Open, is convinced that playing in last week’s Reno-Tahoe Open was worthwhile despite the number of logistical drawbacks.

“Yeah, there were a lot of negatives to last week in terms of altitude. It was one of the more tiring weeks I’ve ever had on tour, so hot, so dry and so hilly a golf course. It really was a tough, physical week and, obviously, you’ve got your three hour jet lag coming back (to the east coast). So there’s your three negatives, but all of those are well overcome by the fact that it’s important you have a card in your hand.

“I’d done a good bit of work on my short game after the Open and last week in Reno showed up some flaws in it, so without last week I wouldn’t be focusing on it. I wouldn’t want to have last week’s short game this week, so I’m glad I got it out of the way . . . I’m trying to get that short game, the chipping and the putting, and as usual at a Major the wedge play, right. I’m delighted how well I’m playing tee-to-green.”

Harrington’s short game, often his strength in claiming three career Major titles, but none since he started the sequence that has led to 16 different champions since he annexed the PGA title in 2008 up to Ernie Els winning the Claret Jug last month, remains at the root of his worries.

“I’d be more anxious about my short game than I would be about my long game, that’s be the way I’d put it. It’s only mental. The technique is fine, it’s just a question of (finding) a bit of confidence. If you hit a few good putts, you build the confidence. That’s really what it is all about.”

To that end, Harrington has been working with Dave Alred (in Reno) and Rotella (in Kiawah Island) to get the putter working. “I’ve identified the issue, so it’s probably trying to get through . . . it’s trusting my reading of the greens.

“I would be standing over my putt and I’d be still deciding on what line I’m going to hit it. Whereas, when you’re putting well, you decide what line you’re going to hit it on and then do your preparation.”