Harrington is fully recharged and raring to go

GOLF NEWS:PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON'S mind has, however reluctantly, slipped out of holiday mode. Quite simply, there's more work to be done; his season's mission isn't yet complete.

Yesterday, as he finalised preparations for the Barclays Championship at Ridgewood in New Jersey - the first of four tournaments on the US Tour's season-ending FedEx Cup play-off series, which starts tomorrow - the Dubliner left no one in any doubt that he badly wants to claim the American version of Europe's order of merit. And more besides!

Returning to tournament play after a mere week off following on from his US PGA win, his second major win of the season and the third of his career, Harrington - speaking in a teleconference call, and admitting to having spent much of his time off by the side of a swimming pool - doesn't anticipate his FedEx Cup quest being hit by mental fatigue or a lack of desire.

Last year, still coming to terms with his maiden major win at the British Open, Harrington was forced to pull out of the BMW Championship (the third tournament in the play-offs) so drained was he. This time round, he expects to head into the series of tournaments with increased vigour while also having his eye on the US Tour's "Player of the Year" accolade, which is voted on by the tour players.

Indeed, there appears to be increased backing for Harrington. Carl Petterson, the Swede who won the Wyndham Championship last weekend, made it clear yesterday who would be getting his vote: "Pádraig Harrington. He's won two majors this year. Tiger's won one. I know the one Tiger won was pretty unbelievable, but to win more than one major in a year, I don't know how many times that's happened. I would vote for Pádraig . . . he will go down as one of the great players out here."

Yet, Harrington was more inclined to keep his feet firmly on planet earth as he looked ahead to the FedEx Cup - which takes in the Barclays, Deutsche Bank, BMW and the Tour championships - and contemplated a possibility of earning "Player of the Year" accolades from his peers on the US Tour.

Tiger Woods has won the award in nine of the past 11 years, the only exceptions being Mark O'Meara (1998) and Vijay Singh (2004).

"I'd love to win (Player of the Year), but it has nothing to do with me . . . I only get one vote and I know who I'll be voting for . . . but it is out of my control, so (the next three weeks of tournament play) is about going out and doing my own thing."

Of the quest to win the FedEx, which has a $10 million top prize apart from the purses on offer in the individual tournaments, Harrington made the observation that anyone currently in the top 10 (he is fourth, technically third with Woods removed from the equation given that he won't be playing due to his recuperation from his post-US Open knee surgery) would probably only have to win one of the four tournaments and play solidly in the remainder to claim the honour.

"Anyone outside the top 10 would probably have to win twice," he added.

"I've won the order of merit in Europe, so it would be very nice to do it in the States."

Since last year, the US Tour's order of merit is decided on a play-off system - mimicking that used in basketball and American football - with players carrying points from the regular season forward into the FedEx Cup, with more points then accrued over the final four tournaments which has smaller fields in each tournament as the series progresses.

A year ago, Harrington headed into this series of tournaments feeling flat.

This time, he believes the batteries are better charged and that he is better equipped to challenge strongly for the title.

"I'm never really able to tell until I'm into a tournament," he conceded, "but this time round I feel better and stronger. I'm motivated, there's lots to play for."

Incidentally, Harrington was also delighted to hear of the continued progress of the Irish boxers at the Olympics, particularly that of Kenny Egan who visited his house some weeks ago and left with a pile of sports psychology books.

Harrington, who has been in the States for the past four weeks, remarked that he hadn't been able to view any of the Irish boxing bouts - pointing out that the US television stations tended to concentrate on their own competitors - but was delighted that Egan had secured at least a bronze medal.

"One of the keys I put across to him was to believe in his own ability and to do his own thing and be self-sufficient . . . and I suspect he should be having only one thought now, and that's thinking ahead to his semi-final."

For Harrington, the Barclays is something more akin to a quarter-final bout, the first of four tournaments that complete the FedEx Cup series . . . and a chance to embellish what has already proved to be a stellar season.