It doesn't happen too often but, when it does, it can come as a bit of a culture shock. On Sunday, before lunchtime, Padraig Harrington's interest in a tournament had finished, Philip Reid reports

And while his peers were battling it out for the European Open title - won by Phillip Price - his mind, if not his body, was already shifting from the parkland layout of The K Club to seaside terrain in preparation for his next assignment, the British Open at Royal St George's next week.

For a time, Harrington even ventured out onto the range to hit low, links-style shots. The real preparatory work, though, comes through this week when the world's number eight-ranked player intends to play up to four times on links courses along the eastern seaboard where Portmarnock Links and the European are definitely on his schedule. The Dubliner is also tempted to add in Portmarnock itself, which later this month hosts the Nissan Irish Open.

Taking the US Masters, where he missed the cut, out of the equation, Harrington's tied-62nd place finish in Straffan was his worst performance of the year on the European Tour where he has won twice and only once in nine previous starts - tied-47th in the Dubai desert Classic - finished out of the top-20. His outward reaction, however, was not one of acute disappointment, rather a more philosophical approach.

"It was just one of those weeks. You play 30 times a year and you have 15 of them . . . you just have to forget about it, and move on. You can't predict when this is going to happen and the most important thing for me now is to get ready for the Open, to work on my game and do what needs to be done. I need to apply myself over the next 10 days or so and be ready. The main thing is that I need to be a little sharper mentally," insisted Harrington.

On a recent reconnaissance mission to Sandwich, where he spent two days, Harrington was pleased to discover that the course was more a traditional links, "like the courses I grew up on. I will need to go back in time a little to remember that part of my early game when my chipping was better. It's a course that should suit players from Britain and Ireland. I like the thoughts of going back to links golf I would have been brought up with."

Despite his disappointing challenge at The K Club, Harrington - who does not play in the Scottish Open, instead preferring to play links courses in Ireland before heading over to Sandwich on Sunday - does not believe his game needs much work.

"I'm pretty close to getting things right," he said. "I'm pretty confident about where my game is. When you play badly, it shows up where you need to work. I started putting badly (at Straffan) and it crept into everything else. I simply need to touch up everything."

So, a little like an artist finishing a painting, Harrington's work on the links this week involves air-brushing rather than starting out with a new palate. In contrast to Harrington's decision to miss out on Loch Lomond, a healthy Irish contingent competes this week for the Scottish Open, headed by Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley - who are also exempt for the British Open - and augmented by Peter Lawrie and Graeme McDowell, both of whom require strong finishes in Scotland if they are to play their way into the field for Sandwich.

A "current form" order of merit, which started with the Volvo PGA in Wentworth in May, finishes this week with the top seven players in the top 25 who are not already exempt for the Open getting places in the field. It would seem Lawrie and McDowell would need top-five finishes this week to earn such places. If they fail, they have decided not to make the trip to the south coast of England for the final qualifying, which takes place on Sunday and Monday.

Despite his top-five finish at The K Club, Clarke headed on to Loch Lomond convinced he had "some serious work" to do. "I'm not striking my irons the way I want to at all," he insisted.

Indeed, when asked to outline where he felt his game was at the minute, he responded: "My driving's 110 per cent . . . my iron play is two per cent . . . and the rest of my game is 70 per cent. This is the first week all season where I have hit poor iron shots, but my driving is in great shape, my short game has come on and my putting's very solid. Everything is there apart from my iron play, and I will work on that."

Clarke, like Harrington, has also made visits to Sandwich in preparation for the British Open but has decided to play in the Scottish Open.

The fact Barclays, his main sponsors, also sponsor the Loch Lomond tournament could have been an influencing factor, but the field is also strengthened by the presence of Ernie Els - who defends his claret jug next week - and Phil Mickelson. Clarke won't arrive in Sandwich until this day week, as he intends to remain in Scotland next Monday to play Scabo Castle.

"The course there is similar to links, so I will be able to hit plenty of linksy shots," he insisted.