July Harringtontheman

Tuesday May 29 will long live in the memory bank. I was at Carnoustie, it was pelting it down with rain all day long and I teed it up with newly-crowned Open champion Padraig Harrington.

The Irishman was the star attraction on a Wilson Staff corporate day at the Open venue, Harrington taking full advantage of the occasion which he used to get in an early Carnoustie practice round. Obviously it proved a wise move.

At the time, despite it raining cats and dogs, Harrington couldn’t have been happier. He realised he could encounter the same dreadful conditions when he showed up for The Open and once again he was proved right.

“There won’t be many players who will get the same practice conditions as I’m getting today. This could give me a bit of an advantage,” said the reigning European Tour Order of Merit champion.

He flew into Carnoustie with his caddie Ronan Flood and brother Tighe who I played with on the day until the latter decided he’d had enough and sought the sanctuary and warmth of the clubhouse. Tighe used to caddie for Padraig in his amateur days and is a solid player himself but obviously doesn’t have his younger brother’s enthusiasm to knock it around in any old weather.

Both Tighe and bagman Ronan were great fun to play with and Ronan also helped give us an insight into their plans and strategy for The Open. Harrington and Flood are a great team and have tasted success at Carnoustie twice before in the Dunhill Links Champiosnhip so you could say it’s a happy hunting ground for them. Very happy now, I’d say!

As promised, Harrington turned up to join our group for the crucial last three holes during which he gave us a blow-by-blow, hole-by-hole account of how to play Carnoustie: it was a fascinating insight into one of the world’s toughest courses and Harrington’s words of wisdom appeared in full in the August issue of TG.

He told us: “I have very positive vibes about this place and I think this time round the course will provide more excitement, fun and options than the last time.” Yet again, he was spot-on.

Mind you, some of Harrington’s words so nearly came back to haunt him as he hammered home: “If you’re leading The Open going into the last three holes, you’ve still got a lot to do.” Bang on again, Padraig…

Harrington of course nearly blew it big-time at the 18th after twice visiting the ever-dangerous burn which meanders round and through it. What did he tell TG readers about the ultra-demanding finale? “This has got to be the toughest tee shot out there. There’s no laying up and you can’t afford to go right while anything smothered left is even worse news.

“Of course the Barry Burn is famously a prominent factor, but off the tee the bunkers cause most of the problems.” Well, you got that one badly wrong Paddy (he smashed his drive straight into the dreaded drink).

“Not only that, it’s one of the most intimidating second shots of them all with the burn in front of the green and OB to the left of it.” Paddy’s back on form again (he dunked his second shot into the Barry bleedin’ Burn).”

Harrington finished by saying “you can expect to play driver and a long iron…and then just hope and pray!” Well, his and the legion of Irish fans’ prayers fell on deaf ears in regulation play, but were well and truly answered in the final play-off hole.

What did Harrington shoot that wet, miserable day in late May? Two-under-par overall, dropping a shot after three putting at the 17th but managing quality recovery shots to force pars at both 16 and 18.

By now, time was running short and the chopper was waiting to take the Harrington party back to Dublin. However, Harrington hung around and insisted on finishing our hole-by-hole guide to Carnoustie which was awfully nice of him. Relief all round in fact.

But that’s Padraig all over and I wasn’t surprised one bit. I do recall interviewing him at The Belfry a few years back, only to discover the cassette in my tape recorder had all tangled up. Harrington sympathically responded to the effect of ‘don’t worry, we’ll do it all over again” which was music to my ears.

That’s the type of bloke he is. Who said nice chaps don’t win in sport? They do now…

 Photos: By Angus Murray