Harrington decides to skip Wentworth

Colin Montgomerie and Nick Faldo have expressed surprise at Padraig Harrington's decision not to contest this week's Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth.

Harrington went back to the top of Europe's Order of Merit by beating Ryder Cup team-mate Thomas Bjorn in a play-off for the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Germany on Sunday but has chosen to miss the circuit's flagship event simply because he has never had a top-10 finish there.

Montgomerie, who in stark contrast has had three wins and three seconds, said, "It seems very strange. He shot 61 in the World Match Play - it's the same course, isn't it?"

Faldo then added, "I'm very surprised. The way he has been playing you would think he can tackle anything."

Harrington has spoken to tour executive director Ken Schofield about his decision and insists he will be back playing the tournament next season but having made plans to go to the United States next week and use the Memorial Tournament as his final warm-up for the US Open, he is not going to change his mind just because he has finished second and first the last two weeks.

"I've struggled every year there," he said. "Maybe I could overcome it, but the reality is that if I do play I will mess up my plans and it could be detrimental for the rest of the season.

"I half wish I could give it a go, but it would mean playing six weeks in a row and I don't want to do that."

The other half of him knows his confidence is sky-high at the moment and another bad time round the West Course would affect his hopes for the far more important second major of the year.

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