Padraig Harrington - 3 Time Major Winner/Ryder Cup Captain/US Senior Open Champion 2022!

slave1 wrote: »

was it just me or did RTE not show his putts on 18?

...Just you, they showed the eagle putt and tap in birdie...

This week it’s the Turkish Airlines Open at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal. It’s back here after a break of 3 years. Unfortunately I didn’t qualify automatically to be here from the Race To Dubai rankings, so I’m playing on an invite, which means that I can’t qualify for the finale of the Race to Dubai in two weeks as the points I will earn will not count. However, it’s great to have received an invite as I really like this tournament.
I’ve played on this course twice before. I liked it both times and have enjoyed playing it in practice this week. The course is in good condition and the forecast for the week is perfect, so I would expect the scoring to be low. There are five par fives, all reachable and a driveable par four, so there are plenty of birdie opportunities. The greens have some slopes in them which, if you get the wrong side, can make for an awkward putt.
I played 13 holes on Tuesday morning and the pro-am on Wednesday. The two days we have had have been ideal golfing conditions and it’s to be like that for the week. It was nice to get out on the course as I spent quite a lot of time last week hitting balls. No matter how many balls you hit it’s no substitute for being on the course and playing. On the golf course there are consequences to shots whereas on the range there are none.
As I have hit a lot balls last week I’m feeling a little ropey. To counteract that I have hit a lot of wedges in practice. The more I work on these clubs the more it gets me away from thinking about technique. It was great in the pro-am as I was able to see that after only two days of working on my wedges that they had improved and to perform well this week you need to hit your wedges close.
However the good news from my work at home last week is that I have got myself a new driver. It’s an old head I had at home which has worked well in practice and feels very much like the one that broke.
This week I’m playing with Victor Perez and Mathias Schwab, two young guys on tour that have been playing well for a while now. We are out at 11.30am on Thursday morning. I’m feeling a little ropey and would like another day or two on the course to get ready, but even as Ryder Cup Captain I can’t organise that! It’s not like I haven’t felt this way before and I am fully aware that anything could happen, so I won’t be thinking too much about it.
Talk soon,
Padraig.

The Nedbank Golf Challenge and Sun City were as great as always. Like every year the hardest thing about the week is leaving. However I’m leaving in good spirits as I feel that I sorted a few things out during the week. The work I did with Mike Walker early on in the week was great. I got a few things clear in my head and we figured out what I needed to work on during my winter break. The great thing was that it made a difference to my play during the week as well.
I’d say last week was probably my best week ever in Sun City. I’m sure I have finished higher than 20th in the old format, but in terms of how I played and dealing with the swirling wind and altitude, I’d say that this was my best performance. I have always found it a hard place to get the clubbing right as there are so many variables, but last week we managed to do a good job of it.
I finished in 20th place but it was probably the worst I could have done. The final few holes cost me a lot of shots over the last three days – I dropped seven shots in total over the last 5 holes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This, added to my triple bogey on the 9th, cost me contending the tournament. The triple was a bad one really; I went for the green in two and caught the water. I took a drop up at the water so as to have a chip shot, but I chipped it in the water with my first ball. I really should have made a six at worst.
I am disappointed to have played as I did and only finish 20th but I am also happy with how I played and the work I did during the week. I could see a lot of progress by the end of the tournament and I was getting confident with the driver again. On Saturday I felt really good with it and drove it great and I’m taking a lot of positives away with me from the week. My long game was much improved from the previous week, my wedge play benefited from the practice I did on it and my putting felt really good.
Unfortunately the season is coming to an end for me – I have the Father and Son at the start of December, but given the way I played last week I would love to have a few more tournaments. However I will be getting into my winter practice and getting myself ready for the start of next season.
Well done to Tommy on a great win!
Talk soon,
Padraig.

I’ve moved a couple of hours down the road to Orlando for the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. I arrived here on Tuesday afternoon as I had some commitments on Monday night in Miami. I’ve played the here many times so it wasn’t that big a deal for me to get in here late. I also had a corporate outing on Tuesday afternoon, so when I did get here I only had a couple of hours to do any work.
The first thing I did was to do some work with Quintic, the putting people I use. I hit putts on their system for about 20 minutes. It was very worthwhile as they pointed out that my ball position needed to be moved back in my stance a bit. They also noted from the analysis that my stroke was very good and the impact improved once the ball was moved back. I haven’t been holing putts but have felt I have been hitting good putts, so to hear that the fundamentals are sound was a good confidence booster. By the time I finished working on my putting I only had 20 minutes to hit balls before I had to leave. Pete Cowen had a quick look at me to check that everything was okay and then I headed off.
On Wednesday I played the morning pro-am and for the most part I hit the ball well. My putting felt a little uncomfortable with the ball position moved back but the putts came off the putter well and definitely held their line. After the round I had it checked again. The data from the system was very positive; it feels uncomfortable but at least I know it’s correct.
I hit wedges for about 30 minutes in between a couple of putting sessions. I am committed to not hitting my wedges hard and so I wanted to get some practice in. I know that if I practice hitting them easy then I strike them a lot better.
The golf course is in very good condition but playing tough. The rough is up and there ate a few new tees since I was last here. It certainly played long in the morning pro-am.
I am playing at 6.57am on Thursday morning and then 11.47am on Friday morning with Mark Hubbard and Christian Bezuidenhout. I’m very happy with my long game and having worked on my wedges over the weekend, I’m looking forward to playing to see how my practice has worked out.
Talk soon,
Padraig.

This week is my first tournament since the first week of March. It’s actually hard to believe that it’s that long ago, but like everyone in the world I never thought I would see anything like what we have been going through. If you had asked me in March what I would think of having six months off, I would have said I’d hate it. However I have to say that it wasn’t a bad thing for me - I have been playing for 25 years and so six months off has got me refreshed and ready to go again. I spent the six months practicing, hit a lot of balls and put my body through a lot and as a result I am carrying a knee injury. I got some good work done over the few months and got some things clear in my head. Now I am ready to play golf - I’m rusty but in your first event after a break that’s always the case. I’m looking forward to playing and giving it a go.
I have to say, I was expecting an easier course than it is. I have played two practice rounds - on Tuesday it was blowing, the course played very tough and our group lost over a dozen balls between us. On Wednesday it was a calmer day and as a result the course was much more playable. The trouble is all off the tee here, so if you drive it well then you can score as the greens are big and they all have wide fringes so it is nearly impossible to short side yourself. Off the tee it is a very good test, the rough is up and it can be hard to find your ball. The lack of spectators is a big loss when it comes to finding your ball, as normally the fans have it found by the time you get up to it. When we played on Tuesday there were a few drives that were as tough as you will get - the 3rd is a dogleg right to left and the wind was in from the left so it was practically impossible to hit the fairway. The 13th has a hazard all down the right and trees along the left - it feels like threading a needle which is not easy when its blowing!
I would have liked an easier test to take on after a six-month break! I know that I am rusty from the lack of tournament play but I would have hated to miss the Irish Open. I am back and really looking forward to playing. I have no expectations for the week but I will be trying hard and giving it everything I have. The way the course sets up, I feel that a more conservative strategy from the tee is the best approach considering I haven’t been playing. If I was a normal season and I had been playing, then I could see myself being a bit more aggressive but as I play my way back into it, I definitely feel a more conservative approach will work best.
This is my first week in the “Bubble” and I have to say the European Tour is doing a great job. I feel totally at ease with all the precautions they have taken. We are all social distancing and wearing masks, tested upon entry to the bubble and then having our temperature-checked every day. They really have done a great job in creating a safe environment for us to compete in. Unfortunately it means that there are no spectators at the moment and for an Irish Open that is very strange. It will be very odd tomorrow not to have the great Irish fans out watching us. However, for the moment it is for the best and hopefully soon we will be able to return to some sort of normality.
This week is a strange week for me for another reason as I should have been in Whistling Straights captaining the European Ryder Cup team. While it’s disappointing for it not to be going ahead this year, it was the right decision to postpone it. I am looking forward to this week next year even more so now.
For the moment I am concentrating on this week here in Galgorm. I am playing at 1pm on Thursday and 9.25 am on Friday with Justin Harding and John Caitlin. As I said, I have no expectations but I am looking forward to getting back to competing.
Talk soon,
Padraig.

67 today, currently joint 7th. That's a nice four days for Padraig: 71, 70, 69, 67.

Class is permanent.

Saw a bit of him in the first round in Phoenix playing with Stricker. Was going well til the 16th, 3 under, and then I went to bed. Woke up to hear he had finished level par; bogey, double bogey finish!!