Harrington inspired by Munster rugby

Padraig Harrington confessed that he was “inspired” and “fascinated” by Munster’s epic clash with New Zealand at Thomond Park.

And while Ireland’s triple Major winner never got the chance to shine at rugby, he can identify with the pressures faced by goal kickers and the never-say-die spirit of Munster rugby.

Definitey not a happy hooker, Harrington said: “If you want a position that a golfer is most like, it’s the kicker. That’s it. It’s the one-off situations. How to prepare for a penalty kick or an individual kick. How to make the right decision when kicking the ball in play.

“You can see the individual pressures the kicker goes through being very comparable to those faced by the golfer.”

As the son of a proud Corkman, Harrington jetted in from Singapore to watch Munster bid for another epic victory over the legendary All Blacks.

And while they lost 16-18, he learned a huge amount about commitment at the highest level.

Harrington said: “I was singing and cheering. But I was also watching the players to try and learn from them and try and absorb what they are doing out there.”

Harrington tries to get himself into position in golf tournaments and then put his neck on the line by going all out for victory on the back nine.

And he saw the same desire from the Munster team at Thomond Park, despite the fact that the odds were stacked heavily against them.

He said: “I was delighted to be able to come down and see it all at first hand. It was an incredible experience. I’m no expert in the plays and tactics but I could see the commitment and was fascinated by the excitement around the match beforehand.

“To see their 100 per cent commitment and their lack of fear. They weren’t afraid of making mistakes. They were a team in the zone last night. To me, they were a group of players unified by the ethos ‘let’s get it done’ without any thought of the consequences.

“The goal any player going out in any sport would be to have that free-flowing nature and try to do as good as they can without the fear of making a mistake.

“The fear of making mistakes is a recipe for disaster in sport yet Munster had no thought of it last night. They were fully committed to doing their best and, as a sportsman, that’s what I learned from last night.”