Doubts remain as Harrington wins Irish PGA
Padraig Harrington will head to Turnberry feeling more like Forrest Gump than a man bidding to win a hat-trick of Claret Jugs.
As Tom Hanks famously said in the Hollywood movie - “My momma always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.’”
While he cruised to his sixth Ladbrokes.com PGA Irish Championship victory at The European Club yesterday after a closing one over par 72 gave him a seven-shot margin of victory (his third in a row) over former British Amateur champion Brian McElhinney on one-under par, the world number 12 cannot be sure that the trust he needs in his long game will be in evidence at Turnberry’s Ailsa links.
Asked he was going to Turnberry in trepidation or confidence about his chances, he said: “Definitely trepidation. My preparation hasn’t been right for this one so it is definitely a shot in the dark. I can’t expect much but I can hope for it.”
It’s not that he played poorly on a fiendishly difficult track, where he was the only player to finish under par after 72 gruelling holes. But what the Dubliner will produce in the long game department remains a mystery.
Yes, his short game was in pristine condition but the state of his long game will only be fully revealed when he stands up and lets fly with the driver.
In the final round he mixed four birdies with three bogeys and a double bogey six at the seventh where he pulled his three wood into deep rough.
"My long game was poorer than it has been all year," he said. "It was at its worst this week but I am hoping it is just a blip. My putting has let me down this year but that has been excellent this week. I avoided a three-putt this week, which is something I haven’t been doing.
“The number one priority is getting the head in the right place for any major tournament and that’s a key. I still have work to do on a few things and hopefully over the next couple of days I will have settled on some key for the week that will keep my mind occupied.”
The Dubliner has struggled badly with the driver club this season, no more so than in the US Open on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park last month, where he hit just 11 of 28 fairways 39.29 percent) to finish second last in the driving accuracy statistics.
He only used his driver just four times at the European Club - at the par-five 13th in each round. But it was his form with the three wood that sometimes gave cause for concern as he attacked some of the longer holes and he needs quietness of mind to contend next week for a place in history.
Ladbrokes.com PGA Irish Championship at The European Club (Par 71)
Final Scores (Par 284):
283 – P Harrington (Unattached) 68, 70, 73, 72.
290 – B McElhinney (Team Ireland) 70, 76, 72, 72;
291 – R Kilpatrick (Banbridge) 70, 70, 77, 74;
292 – B McGovern (Headfort) 72, 71, 77, 72; S Thornton (Unattached) 75, 67, 73, 77.
294 – M Staunton (www.foreireland.com) 76, 73, 73, 72;
296 – G Lunny (Naas) 70, 73, 74, 79;
297 – J Kelly (St Margaret’s) 75, 71, 72, 79;
298 – C McNamara (Unattached) 75, 78, 72, 73;
299 – J Bolger (Kilkenny) 76, 74, 77, 72; W O’Callaghan (www.wayneocallaghangolf.com) 76, 72, 78, 73; G Robinson (St Helen’s Bay) 70, 74, 74, 81;
300 - P O’Rourke (Green 18) 71, 76, 77, 76; D O’Sullivan (Club La Playa) 75, 76, 71, 78;
301 – S McMonagle Unattached) 69, 75, 85, 82;
302 – T Rice (Unattached) 70, 76, 78, 78;
303 – G Cullen (Beaverstown) 78, 76, 75, 74; M Collins (www.foreireland.com) 73, 78, 73, 79;
304 – M Allan (Pure Golf at Leopardstown) 80, 75, 73, 76; D Higgins (Waterville) 76, 76, 80, 72;
306 – D Mooney (Unattached) 70, 77, 79, 80;
308 – D Gleeson (McGuirk’s Golf) 77, 74, 77, 80;
309 – R Giles (Greenore) 76, 74, 85, 74; D Ryan (Cahir Pk) 77, 78, 78, 76; C Mallon (Narin & Portnoo) 76, 75, 90, 78; J Dwyer (Ashbourne) 77, 77, 77, 78;
310 – J Dignam (Slade Valley) 77, 76, 76, 81; E Tracey (Ballina) 73, 79, 80, 78; Trainor (Unattached) 74, 81, 77, 78; T Mulally (Moyvalley) 74, 76, 80, 80;
311 – L Bowler (Wexford) 76, 76, 87, 72; S Fitzpatrick (Enniscorthy) 80, 73, 76, 82; C Carroll (Bray) 80, 75, 78, 78; T Higgins (www.foreireland.com) 75, 76, 81, 79; D Mortimer (www.foreireland.com) 74, 80, 77, 80; J McDermott (Dun Loghaire) 75, 80, 75, 81;
312 – S Young (Foyle) 75, 80, 80, 77; J Scullion (Royal Co Down) 76, 79, 76, 81;
313 – I Kerr (Bunclody) 75, 74, 78, 86; D McNamara (Portmarnock) 78, 73, 82, 80;
316 – K McGrath (Birr GS & DR) 79, 76, 80, 81;
315 – N Howley (Balbriggan) 76, 79, 83, 77;
317 – M McTernan (Co Sligo) 76, 75, 84, 82;
320 – F Howley (Carton House) 80, 75, 82, 83; E Brady (Clontarf) 77, 75, 84, 84;
DQ – M Mulryan (Athenry) 76, 78, 85, 91;
RET @ 54: M Sludds, P Walton.