Harrington happy to be in the hunt

FedEx Cup: A Padraig Harrington win at this week's Tour Championship would transform a season of relative mediocrity into one worth remembering. That's the view of the Dubliner himself as he prepares for the PGA Tour's seasonal finale in Atlanta.

Harrington, a triple major champion, is seeking his first win this year on the PGA or European tours but has produced good form in his last five appearances on the US circuit.

"I'm happy to be here and could turn around a year this week," he told reporters at East Lake Golf Club while preparing for the season's fourth and final FedExCup playoff event.

"The last few weeks have been good. I've been pushing for a win and this would be a big week to get that win. (I would) turn what was less than an average year up until, say, August into a great year."

Victory at East Lake on Sunday would earn Harrington a cheque for $1.35 million and the chance of a $10 million bonus as the overall FedExCup champion.

Only 30 players are in this week's elite field and Harrington, sixth in the FedExCup points standings, would also clinch that trophy if top-ranked Tiger Woods finished no higher than third at East Lake.

However, Woods and the other top-five players in the points standings - Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson or Heath Slocum - all hold their own destiny in their hands this week.

Any of that quintet would automatically land the FedExCup by winning the Tour Championship.

"I don't regret being number six because I did what I could," Harrington said. "I don't feel like I left too many shots behind me or anything like that."

The 38-year-old has produced superb form on the PGA Tour since tying for 65th at the British Open in July, finishing no worse than joint 10th in his last five starts including two runner-up spots.

"I'm in as good as position as I can be," said Harrington, who has not won on any of the leading tours since his victory in last year's US PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.

"I have played good golf. It's not totally in my control but six is as good as I could have done. I'll be happy to see if I can get that win this week, see what happens from there."

Tour Championship organisers opened East Lake to the players this morning as the heavy rain which has lashed the area over the last week finally began to ease.

More than 11 inches have been deposited on the water-logged course in the last week. Tournament director Todd Rhinehart allowed the players to walk the course and putt on the greens on Monday but the tee boxes and fairways were off limits.

From 12pm on Tuesday, however, East Lake was fully opened to the elite 30-man field as they prepare for Thursday's opening round.

"It's completely obliterated my whole practice and warm-up schedule for this tournament, so I come in here like I've been injured or something," British Open champion Stewart Cink, an Atlanta resident, told reporters. "But everybody is in a weird situation here so we'll do the best we can with it."

Cink, who won his first major title by beating fellow American Tom Watson in a four-hole playoff at Turnberry in Scotland, felt the East Lake layout would cope well with heavy rainfall of the last week.

"There are no creeks anywhere on the golf course to overflow, so it's just going to be soggy," the six-times PGA Tour champion said.

"It's not going to be a damage-type flooding situation if it rains here. It's just going to be a soggy mess. And they'll have to redo the bunkers.

"The greens have SubAir under them and they're probably the best greens of the year," added the 36-year-old American. "They're fabulous Bermuda greens, so that won't be affected."

Scattered afternoon thunderstorms have been forecast for the rest of the week at East Lake with conditions not expected to clear until Sunday.

Overall, though, the weather is expected to be a significant improvement on the heavy flooding of the last week which has led to eight deaths in Georgia and a state of emergency being declared in 17 counties.

First round tee times

(USA unless stated, all times Irish)

4.45pmJerry Kelly, John Senden (Aus)

4.55pmMike Weir (Can), Luke Donald (Eng)

5.05pmSteve Marino, Stewart Cink

5.15pmHunter Mahan, Angel Cabrera (Arg)

5.25pmY.E. Yang (Kor), Ernie Els (Rsa)

5.35pmDavid Toms, Lucas Glover

5.45pmBrian Gay, Kevin Na

5.55pmRetief Goosen (Rsa), Marc Leishman (Aus)

6.05pmGeoff Ogilvy (Aus), Phil Mickelson

6.15pmDustin Johnson, Nick Watney

6.25pmKenny Perry, Jason Dufner

6.35pmSean O'Hair, Scott Verplank

6.45pmHeath Slocum, Padraig Harrington(Irl)

6.55pmJim Furyk, Zach Johnson

7.05pmTiger Woods, Steve Stricker