Padraig Harrington ready for climb to the summit

Jul 22 2008 by Mark Garrod, Liverpool Daily Post

PADRAIG HARRINGTON never expected a second major victory to follow so soon after the first.

But, now that it has and in the manner that it has, golf’s new world number three believes there could well be more to come.

Harrington, who at Royal Birkdale became the first European to make a successful defence of The Open since James Braid in 1906, said: “This will give me more confidence. It was the first time I was in the last group of a major tournament on a Sunday.

“It’s a different pressure and I’m delighted that I managed it. I hit the ball probably every bit as solid as I’ve ever hit it and I’m really thrilled with the way I felt.

“I was comfortable, very relaxed and at no stage did I get ahead of myself.

“I kept myself on my toes. I need a certain level of tension, but I don’t need too much and I think I got that spot-on.

“I got to sixth in the world before and I wasn’t comfortable there. It was ’ooh, I’m sixth and I’m not good enough’.

“But I’ve improved and I’m continuing to improve. I’ve got to say that if you ask me my best trait over the years it’s been my ability to learn.

“It’s to look around me, see what’s out there, take the best from everything and try and put it together.

“If I was standing still I’d lose the interest. You kind of have to have the feeling that things are better in order to get up every morning and want to get out there in order to get to the gym, do the boring stuff and not eat that extra piece of pudding.”

Harrington continued: “I’ve had a funny year. My results might have looked quite average, but wins like this help you wait it out.

“Thankfully what I might be getting good at is making sure those days are the big days and that’s very important.

“My goal is to keep getting myself into contention in majors. They are what it’s all about for me.

“I set my schedule out for this year for the four majors and the Ryder Cup. I was trying to peak for them.

“I got myself vaguely in contention at the Masters (he tied fifth), the US Open it didn’t happen (he was 36th) and the Open it happens.

“If I can get 50% into contention and then maybe hit one out of four of those, you’re winning every second year. That’s a pretty high rate for most of us mere mortals.”

Tiger Woods, of course, is more than a “mere mortal”, having already amassed 14 majors, but in his enforced absence through injury everybody was wondering who would capitalise and Harrington is the first to do so.