Harrington hoping to shut out Tigermania
Padraig Harrington has been paired with US Open leader Tiger Woods in the third round at Bethpage Black.
The Irishman is two under par and in second place, four strokes clear of the chasing pack.
He trails Woods by three shots but refuses to be intimidated by Tigermania.
Harrington said: "I really am not interested in what he's going to do. I'm just more interested in what I'm going to do."
The Dubliner is far too intelligent a person, however, to believe he can simply shut out Woods and the hullabaloo that follows him everywhere.
"He's a very intimidating force to be paired up with in a major," says Harrington, facing up to the reality of the situation.
"He's a phenomenal player and it can certainly distract anybody who's playing with him.
"The difficulty is managing my own game so I'm not distracted. But over the years, looking at guys who have been paired up with Tiger on Saturdays and Sundays of major tournaments, it tends to have a negative effect.
"I've seen many of my friends in the game who have shot 77, 78 when they're paired with Tiger, so it's obviously very difficult."
