Clock ticking for Padraig's US Open hopes
Padraig Harrington is fighting a battle against time to be ready to face a rampaging Tiger Woods in next week’s US Open.
The Dubliner has just nine days to get his game in shape if he is to deny the game’s top cat his 15th major on the fearsome Black Course at Bethpage in New York.
But as Woods scorched to a final round 65 to win the Memorial Tournament in Ohio on Sunday, Harrington was licking his wounds after missing his third cut in four starts and his fifth this year.
As a result he’s crashed out of the world’s top 10 from a career high of third in the world following his US PGA win 10 months ago to 11th this week.
So what’s wrong with Harrington?
Before the Memorial he declared: “As a test of golf it is hard to find better than on this course, as every aspect of you game is tested.”
But the result was a massive failure for Harrington as he shot 75-77 to miss the cut by four shots.
Harrington’s statistics on the PGA Tour make scary reading for his fans this season.
He’s outside the top 150 for driving and greens hit in regulation and his famous short game was totally absent on the tough Jack Nicklaus course at Muirfield Village.
With 16 chances to get the ball up and down for par or birdie around the greens, Harrington managed it just four times.
That was partly due to his putting, which was abysmal by his high standards.
He took 32 putts in each round and holed just one putt over four feet - and even that one was just four feet 11 inches according to the PGA Tour’s Shot Tracker data.
Before the start in Ohio, Harrington confessed that he has been trying hard to forget the technical mumbo-jumbo that has been obsessing him so far this season.
He said: “I am committed to forgetting about the technical work I have been doing and getting back to concentrating on playing. If I can start this week well then I know that I will be in good shape come the US Open.”
He didn’t and isn’t, unless he can pull something out of the hat at the St Jude Championship in Memphis, home of the King of Rock and Roll.
But as Elvis said, he’s all shook up and needs to find some form quickly if the toughest course on the US Open rota is not to become Heartbreak Hotel.
What’s killed Harrington this season has been his obsession with becoming an even better ball-striker.
He’s worked so hard on it that his short game has suffered.
He explained: “Believe it or not, I am struggling to control the ball in side winds. I hit the ball too high and didn’t feel like I compressed the ball. It came off the club face too high and that meant it just wasn’t penetrating enough for me."
He should find life easier at TC Southwind this week, where he was tied fourth last year.
Graeme McDowell is also in the field as he prepares for his fourth US Open start alongside Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke next week.