FOR SOME, it’s the last chance saloon; for others, like Pádraig Harrington, this week’s Scottish Open at Castle Stuart – a manufactured links, it must be said – represents the final preparatory exercise ahead of next week’s British Open at Royal Lytham St Annes, even if the ideal scenario for the Dubliner would be to contend, even win, and then take his “A-Game” to the big one.
Harrington heads a strong Irish contingent at Castle Stuart, where world number one Luke Donald defends his title and American Phil Mickelson – after missing the cut at the Greenbrier Classic – has belatedly added the tournament to his schedule ahead of his quest for the Claret Jug next week.
Alan Dunbar, though, has decided not to take up a sponsor’s invite and the British Amateur champion will instead practice ahead of his debut appearance in a Major.
Of the seven Irish players in action, only Harrington is guaranteed a place in the field at the season’s third Major. For Shane Lowry, who showed a return to form at the French Open, Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane, Gareth Maybin, Paul McGinley or Simon Thornton to claim a place in next week’s British Open, the only route would be to win in Scotland or claim the sole spot reserved for the top finisher not already exempt. It’s a hard ask.
For his part, Harrington – who prepared for his two British Open successes in 2007 and 2008 by playing in the Irish PGA championship at the European Club – will utilise the Scottish Open’s return to a links course.
As the Dubliner observed of his decision to play at Castle Stuart for a second straight year, “I was a big advocate when the Scottish Open was at Loch Lomond. I said, ‘Look, I want to play links golf that week. If you move it to a links golf course, I’ll be there’. They have done that, and I couldn’t see myself not playing in the Scottish Open now because it’s on a links.
“It’s ideal. Having a competitive tournament the week before shows up in the little nuances in your game that need to be tightened up. Having it on a links golf course gives you ideal practice.”
Harrington has shown some decent form of late, highlighted by his tied-fourth finish at the US Open and, then, his contention at the Irish Open at Royal Portrush.
After playing on the Causeway Coast, however, Harrington hit a wall in much the same way as a marathon runner does when on the home stretch.
“You know, I was tired after the US Open (at the Olympic Club). I was very tired the week of the Travelers (in Connecticut on the US Tour). I was absolutely perfect all week at the Irish Open. But when I came home from the Irish Open, I struggled. I struggled to do any heavy work, it was all low-key work. I’ve been eating all round me, which is another sign of being tired.”
The one thing which Harrington agrees he needs in ticking all of the boxes is another win. He hasn’t won on either the European Tour or the US Tour since his 2008 USPGA triumph, which gave him a third Major title in little over 13 months.
And, although he doesn’t live by results in the way that observers do, Harrington confessed: “I don’t need the results all the time. I don’t have to have results to prove (how good his game is). But I think it would be valid to say that you do need wins every so often in order to ease the external pressures.
“Yes, a win would be very important for me . . . (and) I believe it is coming.
“It doesn’t have to happen (in Scotland) or the week after. I believe it’s coming. I’m in good shape. To be honest, areas that I see are weaknesses in my game at the moment are the areas that are good areas to be practising on. I would have said my chipping wasn’t quite strong enough at Royal Portrush.
“You always get a lot out of those little areas where you start working. My putting – well, it wasn’t actually my putting that was the problem. My reading of the greens was a bigger issue at Royal Portrush. Little things like that when you start concentrating on them, they do pay dividends quicker than some of the bigger issues (like swing changes) . . . they are more tangible.”
In Harrington’s case, a long overdue win on tour would also ease his Ryder Cup concerns. And, currently ranked 60th in the world, it would also propel him back into the world’s top-50 and secure a place in next month’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. For now, though, the real focus is on the British Open and, in that, the Scottish Open serves a more than useful preparatory step.
If he were to win, all the better.
World number two Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, will play Royal Lytham and St Annes this Thursday and Friday as part of his final preparations for the third Major of the year.
McIlroy, who finished tied-10th in the Irish Open at Royal Portrush, is on a two-week break from tournament play and will be looking to add the Claret Jug to his 2011 US Open win.
The winner next week will earn €1.1 million – the same as Darren Clarke at Sandwich last summer.
The total purse of €6.3 million has also been kept the same, with the runner-up picking up €656,000 and the top 10 also walking away with six-figure cheques.
Seve Ballesteros’ two victories in 1979 and 1988 were worth £15,000 and £80,000 respectively, while David Duval collected £600,000 on Lytham’s last staging of the championship 11 years ago.
On the US Tour, rookie Ted Potter Jr clinched his first PGA triumph and a place in the British Open when he beat Troy Kelly at the third play-off hole to win the Greenbrier Classic.
The 28-year-old Florida-born left-hander kept his cool to sink a four-foot birdie putt after the players had both finished on 16 under and then could not be separated on the first two extra holes.
