Harrington has been Amazing
Padraig Harrington has been in unbelievable form this season. Having already won a few big tournaments and having represented Europe in the Ryder Cup it wasn’t a surprise that he won the Open last year, but it certainly helped to consolidate his standing at the top of the game. He’s improved massively and now he looks like a guy who just wants to win Majors every week. His whole game plan seems geared to peaking at the biggest tournaments.
He won at the Open at Birkdale where he seemed to sneak up through the pack playing a terrific back nine holes. He just continues to improve and is now a consistent threat. You sometimes see guys who win the odd major and then don’t win again; he’s stepped up a level to win back to back Opens and back to back Majors.
Equally important is the fact he’s shown he can bounce back. Padraig perhaps should have won the European Order of Merit last year where he was pipped by Justin Rose, this year I don’t think it’ll be a problem for him. He’s in an elite group now and the rest of the European tour will be looking to emulate him.
My Own Form
I had a good week down in Germany not too long ago where I was feeling good with my own game. I then I played at the London Club where the first couple of rounds went well but when the conditions got worse I struggled a bit. In golf everything is on results, so people look at you strangely when you say you feel like you’re playing nicely but not securing results. People judge your ability by where you finish on a Sunday night so until I do that I suppose questions will remain.
I went to the Open qualifying and didn’t make it which meant I was forced to sit at home and watch it on the TV. Spurred on by that disappointment though I travelled to the Russian Open in Moscow and came third on a course which I really enjoyed playing; it’s my highest finish on a European Tour event so far and I got some decent praise on Sky Sports which was a bonus.
The Rest of the Season
I really wanted to consolidate my position on the Tour before challenging for the big honours. It’s a bit like a team winning promotion to the Premier League, you don’t necessarily expect to win the title in your first season, you’re more pleased avoiding relegation. I’ve got about eight or nine events left this season and I’m looking forward to getting some good results. Between now and the end of the tournament my aim is definitely to win a tournament.
On this tour the prize money is so good that if you achieve a couple of Top 5 finishes, regardless of how you play for the rest of the year, you’ve got a pretty good chance of holding onto your Card. It looks as though the mark for this season is about 220,000 Euros – you could achieve that in a couple of very good weeks.
Ryder Cup on the Horizon
The guys on the European Tour definitely seem to be more focused the closer we get to the Ryder Cup; it’s such a high prestige event and attracts so much media attention that it’s not surprising. As the season draws to a close everybody has their own personal aims; the top guys are worrying about being selected by Nick Faldo, some guys are focused on getting their Card, while others are desperate to break into the Top 15 of the Order of Merit.
The pressure is pretty intense and for some it works against them, you do see players peaking mid-season and then when the big prize is up for grabs they choke.
If I was Nick Faldo and had to pick Wild Cards I’d struggle. Monty hasn’t really had a great few months but when he plays in the Ryder cup he’s awesome, I’d like to think that he’s got a chance of being picked but if he did there would be a chance he’d break Faldo’s own records! Monty is a great guy and good entertainment but some times when things aren’t going well for him on the course you have to stand your distance. It’s quite funny actually!
I’ll have my phone on loud in the hope of being picked by Faldo but I think I’d have to win the next four tournaments in a row! If it doesn’t happen I’ll be tuning in like everybody else. Sometimes you can’t help comparing yourself to your rivals and I’ve seen a few who’ve had a similar rise to myself and are now pushing on to the next level. If I keep learning and playing well I hope I can push for a place in a couple of years. I’ve been on the Tour for four consecutive years so it’s time to aim high and I think it’s a realistic prospect.
Thankfully this year’s tournament is in Wales so I’m not missing too much. I’m looking forward to peaking just in time for the first class flights across the Atlantic!
Until next time…