Huge leap on learning curve

Padraig Harrington will arrive home from Barbados today for the festive season and the end of a highly-rewarding year. The younger half of Ireland's World Cup-winning partnership claims he gained more from last season than most of his contemporaries, including those who acquired Ryder Cup status.

Since his marriage on December 6th, the 26-year-old Dubliner has been away on honeymoon with his wife, Caroline. His next golfing assignment will be the MacGregor training week from January 3rd to 10th at San Roque, where he gained his European Tour card two years ago.

"I can smile now when I think of people telling me how awfully disappointed I must have been at failing to make the Ryder Cup team," he said. "The truth is that I have come to look on it as a bonus, though I'll obviously be aiming for a place in the 1999 side."

He explained: "Nobody among the 12 guys who were at Valderrama could have learned as much as I learned this year by being that close and not getting into the team. Being on the team, they would have felt no desire to stand back and analyse what got them there.

"My situation was entirely different. When looking at the success I've had, some people took the view that it was all because I had been holing putts. Then they cautioned: `Wait and see how well he does when he gets the jitters and the putts start slipping by.'

"Sure, there are weaknesses in my game and nobody is more conscious of them than I am. But while I'm laughing at the idea of having finished the season eighth in the Order of Merit, I see each of my faults as a potential area of improvement. And if I could finish fifth in the British Open, think of how well I can perform when my game really comes right.

"Meanwhile, I've come to realise that the ability to hit golf balls is only a part of the business of being a tournament professional. I'm not afraid to admit that there are a lot of rivals who can hit golf balls better than me. And I remember seeing the same thing in players I beat as an amateur, over the years.

"But at the same time, I'm looking at guys out there in Europe who are struggling to keep their card. And there I am, plodding along."

When he analyses his 1997 season, Harrington winces at some of the obvious errors he made. Like last February in the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Sun City. On reflection, he knows that in rapidly-failing light, he should have waited until the following morning to complete his final round.

In deference to Nick Price, however, he decided to continue against his better judgment. And with bogeys at the closing two holes, which he played almost by instinct, he slipped from third to a share of fourth place. In that event alone, the difference in prize money could have meant Ryder Cup selection six months later.

"I believe that my strength has always been the ability to recognise my weaknesses," he went on. "For instance, I can't understand how some established players will accept that they can't chip the ball properly. With an obvious fault like that, why is it that they don't stop everything else and concentrate all their efforts on sorting it out?

"Bernhard Langer did it with the yips, on at least three occasions. Which is one of the reasons Langer is probably my hero. PerUlrik Johansson also impresses me enormously. I love the work ethic which they characterise better than most.

"They worked hard to get where they are and I believe I've got to do the same thing. Everything they say about Langer is right; about the way he has squeezed everything possible out of his golfing talent. He's the professional's professional. That's where I want to go."

It bothers him that he didn't win a tournament this year, though his contribution to the World Cup triumph with Paul McGinley last month was obviously rich compensation. And all the while, he knows he must not expect too much of himself after only two full seasons in professional ranks.

"The fact is that I'm not yet at the stage where I can tee it up in any tournament and expect to win," he said. "I'm not anywhere near that stage. I still have to wait for it to be my week and it didn't happen to be my week any week this year - except for the World Cup, obviously. But that was a team thing.

"On a given day, I know I can compete with Langer: I might even beat him. But to do it over four days, it's got to be by week. Players like him are so far ahead of me that I consider them to be on a totally different level."

Since his return from Kiawah Island last month, everything has been rather hectic for Harrington, with a round of receptions and then his wedding. But there has never been a danger that he might lose his firm grip on reality.

"I don't forget the knocks I took during the long time I was around the amateur game," he said. "In a two-and-a-half-year period I finished in the top four 24 times, yet I only had two wins. But there were also some great times in my amateur days and I make a point of remembering them too."

He concluded: "As a professional, I didn't think I could achieve any higher profile than when I won the Spanish Open. Now I know that such thoughts are ridiculous. I have learned that you keep reaching new levels that you didn't realise existed.

"That's what will be driving me when I get back into action in the New Year."