Harrington looks for hat-trick
Padraig Harrington will be chasing an unprecedented hat-trick at Augusta tomorrow – even if some people are wishing he would be find something else to do.
It has become part of Masters history that nobody who wins the light-hearted eve-of-tournament par three competition goes on to win the title four days later.
But Harrington has dismissed the so-called “jinx” as nonsense.
“It’s all baloney,” he said today. “How could winning a tournament on a Wednesday affect how you play on a Thursday? That’s rubbish.
“I’ve never hit a golf shot in my life where I haven’t been trying. The only way I can’t try and win the par three is not put my name down on the sheet.”
And he will not be doing that.
Harrington tied with David Toms with a six under par 21 two years ago – the nine holes vary in length from 70 yards to 140 – and last year beat Eduardo Romero in a sudden death play-off after scoring 23.
In 2003 he went on to miss the halfway cut and last April he finished in a tie for 13th after holing-in-one at the short 16th in the final round just minutes after Kirk Triplett had done the same thing.
“If they come up with a new excuse that if you win the par three three years in a row you’re assured to win there will be a new superstition,” he added.
“If you want to go over superstitions we can all add a few in there.”
Harrington was a doubtful starter two weeks ago because of the condition of his father Paddy, who is suffering from cancer of the oesophagus.
He reluctantly flew to the Players Championship in Florida, but then went home again rather than stay on for the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta.
“My dad has made great improvement,” commented the Dubliner, at sixth in the world rankings Europe’s leading player.
“He’s home from hospital, very comfortable and looking and feeling a lot better.
“I was certainly very flat through the TPC (the Players). Can I recover in a three-week spell? I don’t really know.
“I’m working on the right thing so that I’ll be focused and not have a problem in the sense of my mind straying. But I do think it would be a problem emotionally if I do happen to get into contention with a few holes to go.
“I don’t think it would be too much of a problem until the very end and then it could be very difficult. We’ll wait and see how I handle it if I do get into that situation.”
Having won his first US Tour title four weeks ago Harrington has certainly experienced great highs and great lows recently.
His best Augusta finish was fifth in 2002, when he led by three after playing his first 11 holes in six under par.
Harrington admitted he had forgotten about that, but when reminded he stated: “I can remember all of the bad shots I hit.
“And it’s amazing. I can remember the bad shots everybody else has hit here. That’s one thing about Augusta – you carry the baggage of all the other players.
“Who can forget Seve’s four iron in the water on 15 (in 1986)? That’s the first thought that’s going to come into your mind.”
And the short 12th? “Fred Couples would be the over-riding thought. I know he got away with it (Couples’ ball hung on the bank inches above the water in 1992 and he went on to win), but you know you wouldn’t get away with it!”
What about the long dogleg 13th? “I probably carry my own baggage there,” he added. He was twice in Rae’s Creek two years ago when battling to stay in contention.
Despite all the memories of things that have gone wrong for him or for others Harrington looks forward to the Masters just like everybody else does.
“There’s nothing like Augusta. It’s so different to every other event. And that’s what makes it special.”
The other only player to win the par three competition twice was Sandy Lyle. That came in 1997 and 1998 – after he had become Masters champion, of course.
The winner receives a crystal vase and the nearest anybody has got to becoming champion four days later was Raymond Floyd in 1990. He tied with Nick Faldo, but hit into the water on the second extra hole.
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