Harrington chasing treble

By Frank Malley, Chief Sports Writer, Press Association Sport Last updated: 8th July 2009

Defending champion Padraig Harrington will have history on his mind when he tees it up at Turnberry.

Padraig Harrington will have history on his mind when he tees up as defending champion in the Open championship at Turnberry.

The Irish golfer can become the first man for 53 years to lift the famous Claret Jug three years in succession.

The last player to do so was Australia's Peter Thompson in 1956 when the prize money was just £1,000.

This year's winner will receive £750,000 and on recent form not too many would wager good money on that pot being picked up by Harrington.

After winning in 2007 at Carnoustie and last year at Royal Birkdale, Harrington proved that the blossoming of his career was not a fluke by also triumphing at the USPGA championship in America.

Three majors in 14 months is some going, so perhaps it is hardly surprising that Harrington's game, based on hard industry and dedication as much as natural talent, should suffer something of a reaction.

The fact is 2009 has been Harrington's year of the missed cut. The consistency has waned, the accuracy deteriorated and he has tumbled from number three in the world to drop out of the top 10.

Why, he even took two birdies, six bogeys and a closing double bogey nine on the second hole at the Masters, only one shot less than the record high for the hole.

At the US Open at Bethpage he carded two 76s to miss the cut by eight shots on 12 over along with a sizeable section of the European contingent.

His second round contained two birdies, six bogeys and a closing double bogey, the sort of scoring which was not on his radar 12 months ago.

The problems have resulted from a lack of confidence in the consistency of his swing and he plans to work with coach Bob Torrance in the run-up to Turnberry.

Yet only a fool would write off the Dubliner. Last year he went in to Royal Birkdale with an injured wrist and it was touch and go whether he would play until the morning he teed off.

He admitted later that the injury took the pressure off and his final-round 69 included a four-under-par 32 on the back nine, which enabled him to pull away from Greg Norman, who had gone into the final round with a two-shot lead.

His eagle on the par-five 17th was one of the great closing scores in Open golf and the victory made him the first European golfer since James Braid in 1906 to retain the Claret Jug.

Can it happen again? Can he rectify the swing concerns and rediscover his best form? Harrington has no doubts.

"It can come round in a day," he said.

"This game is fickle in that way. By the time I tee it up at The Open I will be ready.

"I'll do the same preparation for The Open as I did last year and that's all I can do."

That will involve a few swing thoughts with Torrance but Harrington will guard against too much introspection.

"It will be more going over stuff, not too much detail," he said.

"It's a catch 22. It's not about more work, it's about less in some ways. While I will do some work with Bob, I will also be aware of not getting bogged down by things that I don't need to.

"I have never been the type of person that hits one good shot and everything's OK but I also have never been the type of person that worries about results in the short term. I know if I keep doing the right things that it has worked before and it will work again."

Perhaps even three years in a row.

Frank Malley, Chief Sports Writer, Press Association Sport