Harrington cures swing headache

Padraig Harrington has finally solved the swing change “rant” that’s been driving him crazy for the best part of three years.

And that means that the triple major winner is ready to “go play golf” this week as he begins his build up to the US Open by joining Tiger Woods in this week's Memorial Tournament in Ohio.

Down to 10th in the world after two weeks off and Steve Stricker’s win at the Colonial, Harrington is happy he can leave his swing alone and concentrate on getting the ball in the hole.

Padraig HarringtonFeeling positive again, Harrington beamed: “The summer months are here, it is time to go play golf.

“I have been trying to fix something in my swing that has been annoying me and while I still have more work to do on it, the important thing is that I’ve finally got the answer I wanted.

“I have been on this particular rant for the last two or three years and it has only been in the last four or six weeks that I have finally figured out what it is, what I need to do to change it.

“That doesn’t mean that is going to be there for the next period of time. But a huge part of this is finding the answer and because I have that, I can maybe put this on the back burner for a while.”

The news will be music to the ears of Harrington’s wife Caroline, caddie Ronan Flood and mental coach Dr Bob Rotella, who have been begging him to cut back on his marathon sessions on the driving range this season.

Things were getting out of hand and after missing four cuts from 11 starts so far this year, Harrington knows it’s time to stop tinkering and start scoring.

He’s hoping to find some form at Muirfield Village this week before putting the finishing touches to his US Open preparations at the St Jude Championship in Memphis.

And credit must go to his veteran coach Bob Torrance, who helped his top pupil get to the bottom of the technical issues that have been driving him to distraction.

While Harrington used 3D technology to spot the flaw that makes him hit the ball too high and lose penetration, it took the trained eye of his veteran Scottish coach to spot the solution.

Harrington explained: “I definitely felt that I lacked a little bit of strike and penetration but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how to stop it.

“I just had a slight misconception about what I needed to and what I felt I was doing, wasn’t what I was actually doing.

“It ultimately comes down to Bob to sort it out and he really has come up trumps. We have worked on something that he has told me before but never really focussed on. It is a different feeling for me I am very happy with it.”

Harrington will be the only Irishman in action in the US but eight players will tee it up at the Celtic Manor Wales Open this week.

Shock Irish Open winner Shane Lowry will be hoping to make his first cut as a pro after missing out by six shots on his debut in the European Open.

Ulsterman Michael Hoey and Jonnie Caldwell are also in action alongside Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie, Gary Murphy and Paul McGinley.

McGinley got bad news last week when he heard that his first golf course design at Macreddin in Co Wicklow has gone into receivership following a move by the club’s bankers, Bank of Scotland (Ireland).

But Rory McIlroy has two weeks to recharge his batteries before he make his US Open debut at Bethpage Black in New York.

The Holywood ace, 20, ran out of gas in the European Open and finished 12th behind surprise winner Christian Cevaer of France.