News: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
February 8 2012
1:05 pm
Harrington needs help for Ryder Cup
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — At 34th in the current Ryder Cup standings, Padraig Harrington is going to have to do something he hasn’t done in four years if he wants to make the European team: Play the kind of golf that won him three major championships from 2007 to 2008.
“There’s no doubt I’m behind the 8‑ball at this stage,” said Harrington, who is making his PGA TOUR season debut at this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. “It’s not going to be a year that I can play well and get into it, I’m going to have to play great to get onto the team.”
In order to do that, Harrington parted ways with his longtime coach Bob Torrance and began working with Pete Cowen last August. The results have yet to come, however. Harrington has two top-10s since switching coaches, and he needs a lot more than that.
Making it even tougher for Harrington is that he’s ranked 93rd in the world and not in the field for any of the World Golf Championships events, among others, which are guaranteed points.
”Some of those events you can turn up and finish last and you get more points than say finishing 15th at a major,” Harrington said. “I’m going to have to gather points very quickly. It won’t be a question of picking up five and six points and eight points; it’ll be a question of winning some of those big points, which means winning.”
The last time Harrington won anywhere in the world was at the Iskandar Johor Open in 2010. Before that, however, his last victory was at the 2008 PGA Championship, which was when he decided to rip up his swing. He’s been trying to find his form ever since.
It wasn’t the first time Harrington made major changes to his swing, but they came when the spotlight was on him the most.
For example, when Harrington first turned pro he hit what he describes as a “choppy cut over the top.” Then he spent his next two years hitting “a huge draw” off the tee.
When Harrington won the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie, he did so playing a draw. A year later at Birkdale, he won hitting a fade.
”But after 2008 I talked about it,” Harrington said. “The difference is there were more people listening."
Now Harrington hopes all that’s behind him, and he says the courses and conditions at Pebble Beach set up well for his game.
As for the changes under Cowen, Harrington says he’s trying to keep his shoulders more connected — trying to keep them down throughout his swing and not letting them rise up. That’s the simplest way of putting it, and for Harrington keeping it simple is what he hopes will get him playing the kind of golf he did four years ago and in turn help him make the Ryder Cup team.
“I have a quantum leap to get into the team,” Harrington said. “Whether I win in the U.S. or win in Europe, it will come down to just winning.”
PGATOUR.com is part of Turner - SI Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network 
Who would want him? In the last few of these exhibitions, Paddy has stunk up the joint. I’m sure the Captain Jose Maria I Lost My Ball is hoping he doesn’t make it, as Harrington would get crushed by the US players in his matches. Maybe with a partner he hangs on, but in singles, they never get by the 15th hole….
Gail hating away as always
gail now seems to think José Maria Olazabal is as stupid and petty as she is…and to answer your question who would want him ? Monty did and he was right, Ross Fisher would tell you.
Maybe you should call Greg Norman and see if Robert Allenby can change citizenship. He’d have a better chance than Harrington, and we saw what happened in Australia….
gail, why disparage Harrington, who’s won three times as many Majors as your precious Tiger during the past 5 years?
Is it because he’s not from the usa? I thought so.
Nice troll though; I guess you’re getting off on the mentions of your ‘name’ here now. Sick!
Great Mike…I guess you really think that Padraig is on the way up? Does anyone really know anything about the game? Mike, I read this from you week after week. Please, please, at least read a little about the sport. You don’t seem to have a clue. I guess it’s another 20 handicap on this site, or are you down to a 15?
Some players who might have a chance to make the top 25 here next year if they continue on with their recent great form: Joost Luiten, Graeme McDowell, Kyung-Tae Kim, Sang-Moon Bae, Ian Poulter, Camilo Villegas, Seung-Yul Noh & Louis Oosthuizen.
paddy would be a great addition if for no other reason than his experience and mentorship for the younger players, i’m a big fan and wish him well this season.
Harrington is a great player, and has always been a tinkerer…He does not have a great match play record, but great players are judged by how they perform in stroke play majors, which he has won 3, not by match play, although I consider the US Amateur and British Amateur to be majors…What he is saying is that he wants to make the Ryder Cup team @ Medinah and in order to do so, he has to win golf tournaments…The competition to make Ollie’s team is more intense than ever because the Euro side has many top players (McIlroy,Donald,Westwood,Sergio,Manassero,Poulter,Clarke,Molinaris,Rose,Casey,Jimenez,Quiros,and on and on)…I wish him well and hope Ollie wins one for Seve
Pod has shown glimpses of coming back to some semblence of form this past few months, I expect a win soon, if not here then sooner rather than later. 85′s on Betfair will do me!
Can someone explain to me why this person Gail is forever hating on anything or anyone who is not American? She bad mouths Olly? Really ? One of the most laid back people in golf?
Who says I don’t like Ollie? I just said he wouldn’t want Harrington on his team if he wants to win. Anyone think that’s wrong? I have a lot of respect for Jose Maria, and have met him at the PGA in Chicago years ago. He’s a super player who really made the most of his talent. I’m not sure he had the game of someone like Colin Montgomerie, for example, but he showed that the mental side of the game can bring you a victory. Not sure Monty is thinking of anything other than the dinner buffet these days….anyone see the “man boobs?”
Tiger Woods has lost his aura, Robert Rock proved my point in Abu Dhabi and Tiger will struggle to beat an elite field at the majors or WGCs. Nobody is intimidated by him anymore, get over it folks.
noddy – you’re a fool, keep make making up excuses for him because that’s all he seems to use for himself nowadays, that’s what he did when he lost to Robert Rock in Abu Dhabi.
You want some future stars – Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Martin Kaymer, Matteo Mana$$ero, Tom Lewis, Noh Seung Yul, Ryo Ishikawa and now Kyle Stanley.
Golf is an art, not a science. Like every other sport, fundamentals are learned at a young age, and once you reach a p[rofessional level, technique is a very small part of the equation. You never hear tennis players, and other athletes talk about technique changes. You hear terms like confidence, strategy, tactical adaptation, etc..
I understand, and admire their search for improvement. But I think many golfers are looking at the wrong place, and shooting themselves in the foot.
Why would you change a swing that gave you three majors in less than 2 years.. Or 16 majors in the case of Tiger? Mind-boggling!
Sorry.. meant to say 14 majors.. I was thinking of Roger Federer ;-)
Anyone else and Gail has a point. Don’t write Paddy off yet – if anyone can make a comeback, it,s him. He was the most average player on tour (except for his short game) when he started out on his career and with sheer hard work and balls of steel he made it to the top. Though, I have to admit if it doesn’t start happening soon it is just going to get harder and harder for him. One good tournament (top 3) finish is all he needs.
Hey Gail, now your having a go at Monty? Leave it out…unless you’re perfect and I doubt that cause no-one is then look at yourself before putting someone else down. (ok,I kind of stole that saying from Mr Player!)
Paddy will “add mentorship?” Really? The guy will lose 3-4 points, and shouldn’t be on the team, period. Who dreams up these posts?…