Harrington is primed

GOLF:Everyone, it seems, wants a piece of Padraig Harrington. For the past fortnight, ever since he got his hands on the Claret Jug, the demands have come at him faster than the sun's rays.

And if, at times, he has seemed like a magician juggling all of the commitments, the newest British Open champion has - for the most part - managed to retain a balance between enjoying the great win and getting on with the task of preparing for the season's final major, the 89th US PGA Championship at Southern Hills.

Yesterday, three weeks after he ended Europe's drought in the majors and three days before he set out in search of what the PGA of America call "Glory's Last Chance", Harrington - all of six times zones and 4,705 miles from the scene of his greatest triumph at Carnoustie - was attempting to lock away the memories of the Open and to concentrate on the task ahead.

"I'm out here giving it 100 per cent this week and, you know, if I don't perform, there will be a bit of disappointment in it. Maybe in two weeks' time I'll be looking back and saying, 'well, I won the Open'. But, now, it is all about Sunday evening and this tournament for the next six days for me. Now, it is all about the PGA Championship. The Open is a nice memory, but it is on the back burner for the moment until this event finishes," said Harrington.

The PGA hasn't always been Harrington's most favoured major. In fact, in his eight previous appearances, his best finish was tied-17th at Hazeltine in 2002. The difference this time, though, is that he comes in as a major champion. He knows what it takes to get the job done.

While the aftermath of his dramatic win at Carnoustie was a bit like a circus, albeit a thoroughly enjoyable one from his perspective, Harrington - who has bought 1,000 replica flags of the 18th hole at Carnoustie at a cost of over 22,000 so that he can give them to raise funds for charitable causes - has admitted that he has spent some time reflecting on the conclusion that saw him emerge as winner and Sergio Garcia as the loser.

"The difference between success and failure is such a fine line and, sometimes, it is not in your own control. Obviously, if Sergio's putt dropped on 18, and that had nothing to do with me, it would have been a different story . . . but I'm long enough in the game to realise that I've had many a day that's gone right for me and many a day that hasn't gone right for me.

"If you can handle the good days and enjoy them, you've also got to taper it with a bit of 'what if' and the alternative so that you can handle the bad days well too," he said.

Although Harrington and Garcia were both at the Bridgestone Invitational last week, they didn't get the chance to talk about the finale at Carnoustie. In fact, they didn't even meet.

"The only time I saw Sergio last week, which was very odd, was when we were both getting into our cars to leave (on Sunday evening). I didn't even see him in the distance up to that. I saw him just as he was getting into the driver's car to get to the airport and I was on the other side of the car park organising my bags. That was it."

No doubt, their paths will cross at some stage over the next few days.

But, certainly, Harrington believes he had served his time contending in majors and points to last year's US Open at Winged Foot - when he bogeyed the last three holes to finish two adrift of champion Geoff Ogilvy - as the time that he knew he could win one.

"I walked away from that exceptionally confident, because of how comfortable I felt in that position. I felt in my head and knew from there that I could definitely win a major. So, by losing that one, I knew I could win another."

Harrington, who became the third first-time major winner of 2007, following US Masters champion Zach Johnson and US Open champion Angel Cabrera, is not surprised that so many players have made the breakthrough this year.

"I think that there is a greater depth in golf now. We can all watch Tiger, but there are so many good players capable of winning now that you would be a fool to concentrate on individuals.

"You've got to focus on your own game and let everybody else look after themselves."

So it is that Harrington comes into the US PGA seeking back-to-back major wins. "At this stage, I've got to believe that I have more of a chance (than at Carnoustie) and I'll convince myself of that by Thursday morning. We'll only look back in hindsight on Sunday and say if I haven't performed that, 'well, there is a little letdown after winning the Open'.

"But, at this very moment, I'm trying to prepare the same way as I prepared at the Open. I'm really looking forward to the event, and quite happy with how things are going and expectant of what's going to happen."

One titbit. The last time a reigning British Open championship played in the US PGA championship at Southern Hills was in 1994. You know what happened? Nick Price followed up his Claret Jug win by also winning the US PGA. You never know.