TOUR NEWS:PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON refers to them constantly as the "twin impostors", his way of determining the thin line that exists between success and failure. Michael McGeady, a rookie, hasn't yet experienced the outrageous fortunes that the triple major winner has in his time; but, nevertheless, the Ulsterman was given a glimpse of that thin line when he was yesterday handed a late, late invite to the 3 Irish Open which starts at Baltray on Thursday.
It was an ideal birthday present for McGeady, who turned 31 yesterday. In a way, he could thank John Daly. It was the American’s runner-up finish in the Italian Open on Sunday which released an extra sponsor’s invite for the Irish Open . . . and it came McGeady’s way, enabling him to join Jonathan Caldwell, Noel Fox and Des Smyth on the list of invitees for the €3 million tournament. It brings the Irish contingent in the tournament to an all-time high of 23 players.
McGeady, who finished tied-17th in the Italian Open, was naturally delighted to get the call. “It was a great way to start my birthday, getting the last spot. I came very close to securing automatic entry via a top-10 finish in Italy but unfortunately two late bogeys went against me . . . I don’t get to play many European Tour events but I felt at home competing at the right end of the leaderboard (in Italy) and it is great to get to play in my first Irish Open, and at a time that my game is in good shape,” he said.
In fact, both McGeady and former Walker Cup player Caldwell are very well acquainted with the Co Louth links. McGeady finished runner-up there in the 2005 East of Ireland, while Caldwell, in his rookie season on the European Tour, was second in 2006 and had top-five finishes in 2007 and 2008.
“It’s a dream come true (to get an invite). You know, having only turned professional last November, then to make it on to the main tour at my first attempt, and now to be playing in the Irish Open, only an hour’s drive from my home, is beyond all my expectations ,” said Caldwell.
He added: “I’ve made a slow start to my first season, only making two cuts. But it is all part of my development. Every tournament, every round, I am learning and gaining invaluable experience that will make me a better player. I am taking it all on board.
“There’s a very fine line between making the weekend (in a tournament) and going home early. I just have to make it over the right side of the line, and my game is not too far off.”
Caldwell, who claimed his full tour card at the Q-school last November at the first time of asking, is also aware that the first re-rank for tour school graduates comes after the Irish Open.
For Harrington, there are other concerns. The 37-year-old Dubliner – who finished 14 strokes behind winner Henrik Stenson in The Players Championship – returned from Sawgrass yesterday confessing his game was unlikely to be ready for a tournament he ranks immediately behind the four majors in terms of importance.
“Every week you’re learning something and going forward a little bit. I still think I won’t be quite ready for (the Irish Open) but I certainly know where I’m at,” said Harrington, who has been working on his swing over the winter and into the start of the season.
“It’s a combination of needing to take technical stuff on to the golf course and going from thinking about it to not thinking about it. At the moment, I’m kind of in-between thinking and not thinking about it, in-between working on it and letting it happen . . . I am further on in the sense that I can see that there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
However, Harrington also admitted he has problems with his focus.
“The problem when you’re not 100 per cent focused is that you do make errors. It’s not the good shots that change, it’s the bad shots, really. When you’re not as sharp as you should be you don’t recover.”
Maybe a return to home terrain will provide the catalyst to change his season?
But Harrington is not convinced. “I’m not that type of guy. It takes me a while to get focused . . . it’s not something you can switch on like a light.”
