Harrington set for Homecoming

Padraig Harrington will make his competitive return to Ireland next month when he tees up for the first time in his home country as The Open Champion to defend his Irish Open crown at Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort, Co Limerick, from May 15-18. Harrington can expect a hero’s welcome from the home fans at the only European Tour event to be played in Ireland in 2008 when he sets about trying to match Nick Faldo who retained The Irish Open title while Open Champion 15 years ago. Harrington’s remarkable 2007 season gained momentum with a thrilling play-off victory over Welshman Bradley Dredge which sparked joyous scenes in the shadow of Adare Manor, with 1982 champion, John O’Leary, among the first to congratulate the new national hero as the 25 year wait for a home winner came to an end. Two months later, Ireland was celebrating once again as Harrington prevailed in a four hole play-off, this time against Spain’s Sergio Garcia, to win The Open Championship at Carnoustie and become the first Irishman to lift the Claret Jug since Fred Daly 60 years earlier. Harrington’s win at Adare Manor was instrumental in his Open Championship victory and both successes have a unique place in the 36 year old Dubliner’s memory. Reflecting on his Irish Open victory last year, Harrington said: “As it turned out The Irish Open victory meant more than even I realised at the time. Initially I was euphoric about winning an Irish Open. I had been trying for at least ten years, with many frustrations at Irish Opens. I always found it very difficult to handle the pressure, the distractions and the general hype of an Irish Open. Years of that building up, the fact that no Irishman had won it in 25 years, the media hype going into the event and then to actually finally win the tournament was ever so big for me. “To get that on my CV – I don’t think I would have ever felt as if I had a true career unless I had gone on to win The Irish Open. It was a relief but overall there was a sense of euphoria to go on and win it. Also, going into Adare Manor having won the JP McManus Pro-Am there in 2005 I knew I liked the golf course and it was perhaps my best chance to win the tournament. In many ways, that added to the expectation, and then the excitement of winning. “The 18th at Adare is a great setting in front of the Manor, and winning the play-off was a beautiful moment for me. That’s how I felt at the time but little did I know how much of an effect it would have on the rest of my year. It definitely was a big catalyst for going on to win The Open. I definitely felt more comfortable and I gained self confidence from that win. Being able to win under that pressure and distraction, being able to win in front of the home crowd with all their expectation, winning something I so dearly wanted to win, having so many goes at it and finally coming through, all helped with the experience of going into The Open. “It was a fantastic year with those two wins. There is no question The Irish Open is the fifth biggest tournament in the world to me. You have the four Majors and then to win an Irish Open is right up there. I think I would have found it harder to live without winning an Irish Open than without a Major. A Major is a lofty goal in anybody’s book. A lot of players have very good careers without winning a Major but winning my National Open, something with so much focus on it, was something I had to do.” It will be a very different experience for Harrington this year with a new expectation as defending Irish Open and Open Champion, but he is confident he has the tools to cope. “It will be the first time I actually tee it up as the Open Champion in Ireland so it will bring a different sort of pressure,” he said. “I think I have to say after last year that I have the wherewithal to handle it. “The key is that it is not a normal week. It took me a long time to realise that. For many years I kept trying to treat The Irish Open like it was a normal week and the one thing it isn’t is normal. It can’t be and you have to accept the fact. “Eventually I finally accepted that I wouldn’t be able to spend the time practising the week of the tournament, couldn’t spend the time on the range or the putting green and couldn’t spend the time I would normally in the gym. There are a lot of things going on and I have to accept that and run with it that week. I managed to do it last year and the fact that I got a positive result encouraged me for when weeks come around like that and I can still play good golf even when my normal routines are a little broken.”