By Brian Keogh

Padraig Harrington will spend 24-hours in cotton wool as he battles a niggling knee injury.

The Dubliner, 35, crashed to a closing 72 at The K Club to make up the numbers in a share of 51st on level par.

Physio Dale Richardson will be staying at Harrington's Rathmichael home until tomorrow as he nurses his left knee ahead of this week's Irish PGA and the Open at Carnoustie.

But the world No 10's biggest worry is that he might have picked up some bad habits in his swing by protecting his knee.

Harrington said: "The knee is strapped up and fine but I noticed during the week that I did struggle to hold my balance and I don' know if that was bad habits by me or if I was just protecting my knee.

"I will look into it in my practice for the next couple of days and make sure I am not protecting it subconsciously, which can happen."

Harrington has yet to better his 20th place finish on the Smurfit Course at The K Club in three appearance.

But he is more worried about his mental game than either his swing or his knee ahead of next week's Open.

He added: "I don't particularly find this an easy golf course and obviously quite a lot of people do. I would choose to fight my battles on a different course.

"It is not the time to be trying to find something in my swing so I will be working on my mental game. Obviously I didn't perform as well as I would have liked this week.

"It is all about my focus from here on in. My putting is fine but I must try be a little but more positive with my reading of the greens.

"I have a week and a half to do that so it is good timing really."