Harrington ready for major No 2

By Brian Keogh

Padraig Harrington has locked his Open triumph in a cupboard in his mind as he targets a double major win at scorching Southern Hills.

But he knows that he must to get back in "the zone" that helped him at Carnoustie if he is to lift the US PGA in Tulsa.

Despite predicted daily temperatures of 100 degrees, Harrington believes his biggest worry will be forgetting all about the ecstasy of the Open.

He said: “The Open Championship, it's a nice memory, but it's on the back burner for the moment until this event finishes.

"I am not going in with the baggage of being a major champion. I am going in as Padraig Harrington, a golfer and trying to get my preparation right.

"I don't get a one shot handicap on the first tee just because I have won a major. It doesn't work like that. It is very much about getting the little things right.

"This time round we have got a lot of heat, but that doesn't bother me at all. I play quite a bit in Malaysia where we get quite a bit hotter and stickier than this.

"There is nothing about this test that I fear. Winning is within my capabilities this week but it remains to seen if I can do that. I have to try and get back in the zone that I was in at Carnoustie.

“Maybe in two weeks' time, I'll be looking back and saying, well, I won the Open. But it's all about Sunday evening and this tournament, for the next six days for me now, it's all about the PGA Championship.”

A massive 120 players have won just one major in the history of the game.

But Harrington knows that he has more than one major in his locker and he wants to claim his place in the annals of the game.

He said: "Winning a second major sets you apart in terms of your stature in the history of the game. There is a strong focus now on winning a second one.

"This is very soon after the Open but I realise that every major I go into I have to get the little things right and give myself the best chance there on Sunday.

"The actual winning of the event is about getting into position. If I can give it 100 percent and get myself ready on every shot for the whole week, I will have won my tournament."

Harrington has “boxed up and put away” the Claret Jug that sat on his breakfast table every morning for a week after his Open win.

Now he has to try and put Tiger Woods out of his mind as well following his impressive eight-shot win in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone on Sunday.

Harrington said: “Tiger Woods is probably one of the few names that when you play a tournament, you'll always look to see what he shot and what score he's on.

“But before it starts I'm only focused on what I'm doing and how I'm getting along. As regards Tiger's performance last week, it was a great performance.

“I think we've got to be realistic and just look at our own games and let Tiger look after himself and see what happens.

"We can all watch Tiger, but there's so many players who are capable of winning now that you would be a fool to concentrate on individuals."