Harrington a happier hooker
Padraig Harrington needed emergency treatment for a hook as he struggled on his PGA Tour debut in San Diego last week.
Padraig Harrington has been fighting a hook.The world No 3 finished a miraculous 24th in the Buick Invitational after making a 30-mile, Saturday night dash down the coast to see the swing boffins at the high-tech Titleist Performance Institute.
Now he hopes he’s over the worst and reckons he can contend for the title when he partners JP McManus in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am today.
Harrington said: “If you'd told me last Wednesday that I'd finish 24th I'd have bitten your hand off. I was really struggling with a hook but a lot of practice has been done to try and figure it out.
“Hopefully I went through most of the pain last week and when I tee it up this week, I'll be in better form.”
Harrington was so worried about his long game at the Buick Invitational that he neglected his short game and racked up two three-putts and a four-putt.
He spent so much time practising that he was the last man to leave the driving range for six nights in a row at Torrey Pines.
He was also the last man standing in the practice ground at Pebble Beach earlier this week and feels more positive about his game.
After grabbing two Dunhill Links wins alongside McManus in freezing Scotland, he reckons he’ll have an advantage over his rivals if bad weather rolls in at Pebble Beach.
He said: “As much as I don't like the conditions of the cold and rain that are forecast this week, I have a much better chance of winning the tournament if it's like that.
“I'll try harder to win the team event than I will the individual event this week, and that's what actually keeps me going. I've won two Dunhills doing that because it keeps me going.
“You know, like if I'm making bogey at a hole or something and my partner has a putt for birdie, I'm over there reading it, and it cheers me up if he makes the birdie.
“I get into the idea of the team format, of the team event, of trying to do well in that, and that keeps me going in the individual event. It just works very well for me.”
Harrington and McManus will make up a fourball with pals Paul McGinley and Dermot Desmond for the first three days with the top 60 pros and the top 25 teams qualifying for the final round.
The Titleist Performance Institute has played a big part in Harrington's transformation from top player to Major winner over the past few years.
And while he still relies on the expert eye of Scottish veteran Torrance when it comes to his swing, he uses the TPI technology to confirm that he is on the right track.
Writing on his website, Harrington explained: "I arrived here in California on Sunday, with Monday spent at the Titelist Performance Institute which was founded by Dr. Greg Rose and Dave Phillips. Whenever I am on this side of the States I go to TPI - this fantastic facility provides a biomechanical analysis of your swing which breaks it down into the smallest of details.
"As I am very technical with my swing, I always look forward to meeting Greg and Dave to see how everything is working and see how all my winter work is progressing as the feedback is so detailed.
"It lets me see how much every part of my body is moving during my swing. Not only how it is moving but also by how much and when too; it puts almost a mathematical spin to it. As ever with my trips to TPI, Greg and Dave leave me with plenty to think about!"