Harrington braced for “brutal” Dubai test as he vows to battle on with dodgy knee

Padraig Harrington lines his putt up on the 15th hole during the third round at the 2022 U.S. Senior Open at Saucon Valley C.C. (Old Course) in Bethlehem, Pa. on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Chris Keane/USGA)

Padraig Harrington is bracing himself for a "brutal" test as he continues his bid to become golf's oldest winner in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

The Dubliner (51) roared out of the blocks in his first test of 2023 when he contended for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday and ended up fourth, just two shots behind Frenchman Victor Perez.

The three-time Major champion has been struggling with his right knee since undergoing surgery in 2015 and admits his leg is “atrophied” as a result.

But he insists he will put off having knee replacement surgery for a few years as it would mean taking three to six months off.

"I feel good," said Harrington, who hopes to continue his Abu Dhabi form at the Emirates Golf Club, where a rainy forecast could make for tough scoring conditions.

"I've I felt good about my game at the end of the year, so nice to start off maybe a little quicker than I expected. Normally I wouldn't be that good the first weekend. Always good to be in contention again. You want a chance, and certainly, I'll look back at last week and have a few regrets."

The reigning US Senior Open champion won four times on the PGA Tour Champions last year and believes that's helped him stay mentally fresh, even after contending last week.

"You know, some of the good stuff I'm playing on the Champions Tour and being in contention, it doesn't stress me as much, so I wasn't as mentally drained after last week," added the Dubliner, who reckons that Majlis Course could play tough this week due to the rain.

"The other side to that, you get to my age, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays are not very exciting. It's hard to get up for it on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. I wouldn't be full of energy at this moment.

"This is a big, big golf course, and with this rain coming in, it's going to get even longer. The rough now, it's actually quite easy. It is long, but it has substance.

"But obviously, if it's wet, it's going to be quite a difficult test. Preparing myself for today and tomorrow.

"This is one of those golf courses that seems really difficult in practice. When you get into it and play it in the tournament, the tees get moved around a little bit. The scoring is generally better than expected.

"When it's raining, it could actually go the other way, go substantially the other way. It's a big, long golf course. Wet rough, that would make it very awkward.

"I don't know what to expect, but I'm preparing myself for a long day tomorrow, even if that means sitting in the clubhouse, but out on the golf course, it's going to be a grind."

He's drawn with Eddie Pepperell and big-hitting Nicolai Hojgaard, the 21-year-old Dane who excelled for the Continent of Europe in the recent Hero Cup but admits his body is feeling the effects of 27 years on tour.

A bit of Cryo recovery, minus 170. I’ll try to pack 10 plus sessions in 8 days. @DPWorldTour @DubaiDCGolf pic.twitter.com/u8vtSriH1V

— Padraig Harrington (@padraig_h) January 23, 2023

"You know, I'm pushing it to the limits, my body, I always have," said Harrington, who revealed on social media that he'll try to pack in "10 plus sessions in 8 days" in a cryo chamber to aid his recovery.

"But you know, at this age in particular, I need a knee replacement. That's just it. But I need three months, six months for that, so that's not going to happen for a few years and at the moment, I'm going to take my chances and put up with what I've got.

"The rest of the body, I've had a full-time physio for years. So I probably push it a little bit too far, but I bring it back, or the physio brings it back, I should say.

"Trying to keep myself somewhat okay. It's always been a balance, and when I get older, the rest side is winning out."

He is making only his 11th appearance in the event having skipped it from 2005 to 2020 due to his PGA Tour-centric schedule.

But he's still amazed at the changes in the Dubai skyline with skyscrapers now dominating the skyline behind the iconic eighth hole in massive contrast to his first appearance in 1997 when he tied for 28th behind Richard Green.

"There was nothing there when I teed it up first," he said. "The only thing on the horizon was the Hard Rock Cafe. That was it. The hole wasn't as difficult. We played the tee further forward, and you could carry the right side and there wasn't as many bushes up there. Yeah, it's turned into the most iconic hole.

"For me, I would still say the second shot on 18 is the one for me. That has the player under pressure. So everybody thinks it's a beautiful hole, the 18th, and what a beautiful shot, but the players are sweating it a bit, especially if you're in contention. So yeah, the second shot on 18 is the one that does it for me."

"This is one of our marquee events now for 25 years on tour. It's an event that it's just one of our best events. This is a championship golf course. It truly is a big test. For Hero to take title sponsorship and guarantee its place in golf here, that's very important."