Padraig Harrington prepares for Open defence - The Open Golf Championship 2009

Padraig Harrington must shrug off the worst six-month spell of his career to stand any chance of becoming the first golfer in half a century to win a hat-trick of British Opens.

The triple major champion has missed his last five cuts in regular tour events and will need to shake up his game like never before to emulate Australian Peter Thomson’s run of three successive victories from 1954-56.

“The last six months have been the worst in terms of performance I’ve had since I turned pro,” Irishman Harrington told reporters as he prepared for his title defence at the July 16-19 championship at Turnberry, Scotland.

“There’s no doubt it could impinge on my performance at Turnberry. My confidence on the golf course, when I’m out there playing, has not been the best, because of my recent results.

“But I’m in good spirits and ensuring I do everything I can to prepare in the best possible way,” added the U.S. PGA champion.

While the 37-year-old Harrington would be proud to make it three in a row after his triumphs at Carnoustie in 2007 and Royal Birkdale in 2008, he said it was important to keep his targets in perspective.

“The history of three in a row, I think it would be very special for it to happen, but I am realistic about these things and am looking at it in an overall context,” he said.

“I want to compete in many majors going forward … the idea that it has to be the next one is not how I go about things.

“If I compete in the next five Opens I’ll try to win two of them, it doesn’t have to be this year. I’d rather win two over five years than one this year for the three (in a row),” added Harrington.

“I’ve got a number of Open chances, probably another 10 where I’ll be competitive, and I’ll concentrate on winning as many of those as I can rather than trying to win the next one.”

Harrington believes his title ambitions could be helped by inclement weather on the Ayrshire links course.

“I’d prefer a tough test so I am hoping for some wind and conditions that would be conducive to patience and good mental thinking throughout the week,” he said. “I like at least some of the conditions during the week at a major tournament to be quite difficult, or close to extreme, because it does limit the amount of people who can cope with that.

“The tougher the conditions, the more I’m looking forward to the event.”

Harrington said the key to a good performance at Turnberry, which is hosting the Open for the first time since Zimbabwean Nick Price won in 1994, was to drive the ball straight and miss the sand traps.

“Assuming the weather is good I think it is a golf course that most players would like,” he said. “There are a number of doglegs and you’re going to have to be able to move the ball into the wind at times.

“I think the ability to shape the ball and hit the ball straight off the tee will be a big thing. If you hit those bunkers you are looking at penalties as those bunkers are severe.”

Harrington says the mindset of a top player is completely different at a major championship.

“A regular tournament is a bit of a sprint,” he said. “Everybody starts out and if you’re not three or four under par after nine holes you’re feeling like you’re on the back foot.

“It (a major) can come down to just playing really good golf for (the last) nine holes. As long as you’ve done nicely for the first 63, held your patience, you are in position.

“The best way I can describe it is that playing in a regular event can be like a 100 metres sprint. Playing a major is more like a marathon.”

July 14, 2009