PADRAIG HARRINGTON LIKES his chances of contending for his third British Open title in six seasons this week at the British Open, especially if Royal Lytham continues to be drenched by rain.
Harrington’s major titles came at the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie and the 2008 Open at Royal Birkdale, becoming the first European since James Braid in 1906 to defend an Open title, and the 2008 PGA Championship.
The 40-year-old Irishman has not won any title since taking the Asian Tour’s 2010 Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia, but he shared eighth this year at the Masters and finished a career-best fourth at the US Open last month.
“I suppose it does no harm,” Harrington said when asked about his confidence after solid showings in the majors. “It’s nice being in contention. So showing decent form coming in.
“I’m in good form and I’m in a good enough place that it’s about managing where my head is at going into this tournament. That’s what you want when you’re going into a major. You don’t want to be here searching for your putting stroke or your swing.”
While forecasts call for weekend clearing after days of showers, Harrington would not mind a round or two of wet conditions when he tees off Thursday with European amateur champion Manuel Trappel of Austria and American Rickie Fowler.
“I would like some of the golf to be tough, some of the conditions,” he said. “If you have 72 holes of a rainy tournament, it’s nearly last man standing and that’s really difficult for everybody.“I would like to see certainly 18 holes, if not 36 holes, of difficult conditions because that will cut enough of the field out, and hopefully I won’t be one of those.”
The second of Harrington’s back-to-back major titles in 2008 ignited an ongoing run of 15 different majors in a row, the past nine of them first-time major winners and the past three of those being Americans.
And none of them were won by Tiger Woods, the 14-time major champion whose last major title came at the 2008 US Open.
“I think we were spoiled with Tiger winning 14 majors in 15 years,” said Harrington. “People began to think that was predictable… Probably not going to happen again with so many guys coming on with such a good game.
“Dominating, it’s a hard thing to do, just too many good players out there now, too many guys with a good chance of winning that it’s hard for one player to be able to win as prolifically as Tiger did.”
Harrington sees nearly one-third of the field of 157 in with a chance to make a run at victory, and not all of them are familiar names.
“You’re probably looking at 50 players in this field that if they hit form this week, they feel they can carry on,” Harrington said.“Plenty of guys that can get into the lead — regular people might not even know their names and yet they’re quite happy to keep charging and not back out — which is why you’re seeing a greater variety of players winning.”
There were 15 different major winners in a row from Nick Price’s 1994 PGA Championship triumph to Lee Janzen’s 1998 US Open title and from Wayne Grady’s 1990 PGA Championship victory through the 1994 US Open crown won by Ernie Els.
Should a 16th different major champion in a row hoist the Claret Jug on Sunday, it would be the longest such run since a streak of 18 ended after 1987.
“Golfers are evolving,” Harrington said. “That feeling of patience and the feeling of a tournament being like a marathon has gone away. It tends to be a sprint from Thursday morning in a regular tournament.
“You’re seeing that is gradually seeping into the majors. Guys just turn up — ‘If it’s my week, I can beat anybody.’ It’s a much different way of playing. There was definitely an element 15 years ago of sticking and staying in.”
Cian Healy looks haunted now. McGrath should be first choice for province and country
Sexton isn’t far behind him. Madigan must now thinking why isn’t he starting ??
Line out is wobbly. Scrum is under severe pressure. Half backs are atrocious. We don’t look like breaking the gainline. And yet we’re only a peno behind. Game on. Keep the ball down the other end. Too much possession in out half. Kick over their wingers
Win is paramount but a performance would also be nice to see after last week.COYBIB.
Is this on BT or Sky?
Bt
Cricfree.tv for anyone looking for a stream
Thank you Paul
Leinster are a bit shit
So, to stay alive in the competition Leinster have to beat the second best side in England away from home having lost to the fifth(?) best side in England at home last week.
It doesn’t look good on paper lads.
Games aren’t won on paper, thankfully.
Leaving form aside for a minute, the Leinster team selected is a very strong one. Likewise, the bench is better than most teams can furnish.
Going back to form, they simply can’t be as sluggish as they were in the second half last week. There is too much at stake, as they will be very well aware.
This is a good Bath side, but far from unbeatable. All to play for!
What a run from Cronin there. I remember him doing that for Shannon in an AIL final a while back. Some gas.
Cronin played centre when he was younger. Great pace there
Leinster is not an entry level job, Cullen is way out of depth. Leinster need to fire him and find someone with experience ASAP.
His selection being shown up
Cullen is in place for the season at the very least, virtually regardless of how the team does. Plenty of coaches in rugby do great things in their first job with very little previous experience – Gregor Towsend, Bernard Jackman, etc.
Let’s back Leo and see how he does. Surely he has earned that?
Has he earned it though? Where was the apprenticeship?
Yep, too big a step up
I’d back Leo if he:
- starts using the younger players more this season. Ringrose, VDF, McGrath, Moore and Jack McGrath need to be first choices;
- come up with a more discernible game plan. From today’s match, Luke Fitzgerald and others almost always seem to cut inside back into traffic. Why?
- reach the playoffs in the Pro 12 and get a home semi-final. Anything thereafter is a bonus and will help us when next year’s European Cup draw is made;
- Have the courage to pick on form, not reputation. A lot is made of some of the internationals having mental fatigue after the RWC. Doesn’t seem to be affecting the internationals at Bath and if anyone should be mentally scarred – George Ford – he didn’t show it.
As a side note, we need to kick the whole NIQ situation into touch. If we can select players from abroad – we only have 4 teams to pick form. We need to have more choice – and allow overseas players ( still controlled though ) it will be good for the provinces and ultimately the national team.
Cian is dead on, Brian he hasn’t earned it. Bernard Jackman was coaching at local level for junior sides before he even retired. He spent a number of years cutting his teeth at lower levels, that type of experience is invaluable and Cullen simply doesn’t have it. Cullen should’ve gone down to New Zealand or South Africa and learned for 5-10 years then come back.
Note to Cullen: the youngsters McGrath, VDF should be on the pitch full time. What an hash of a selection picking Boss and Murphy!!!!!!!!!!!
Too many of them just don’t look up for it like they used too.. Thank God Te’o is throwing himself around the place like a madman…high risk stuff but his league knowledge is letting him get most of the reads on George Ford right.
Leinster need to take a long hard look at themselves. Need to rebuild. Certain players are not at the races and are no good to the jersey. We have enough young tyros coming through. Let’s build and put our efforts into the Pro 12. Get to the playoffs, and potentially a better pool draw next season. Unfortunately, it appears Healy, Heaslip and Murphy are not performing. We need to find an enforcer in the second row and McGrath needs to be first choice scrum half
I feel bad for a young lad in James Tracey, but that line out is simply unacceptable in that situation. Toner needs to answer for it also.
Unacceptable
Toner sexton only internaional quality starting mcgrath moore goid when intoduced -the rest pitiful.
Breakdown becoming a huge issue for Leinster. Poor coaching or poor technique?
Hard to know if the inaccuracy on Leinster’s part is players or coaches – probably both bear some responsibility – but there is also the fact that we simply don’t have anyone as good at the breakdown as Francois Louw.
Definitely miss SOB, so why don’t we try and counter Louw with VDF? Murphy seems to be all at see again
Agreed – Murphy better at 6/8 than 7, VDF has been playing really well this season (albeit against lesser teams than Bath). We’ll see him soon, I’d say.
Too many average players in leinster-no cutting edge -end of line- Saracens look a great side again this season.
And yet Boss is still on the pitch
Fair play john you called it!
Food for thought, Matt O Conner wins Pro12 and Qf and then reaches semi final, the next year. fired by fans, Leo crashes out of Europe in first 2 games, what should happen?
Btw this is what happens when you have a World Cup hangover and a novice coaching staff.
Wouldn’t necessarily blame the coach entirely players need to man up. Leinster simply too soft and ultimately not good enough darcy driscoll huge losses and never replaced- o brien Carney fitz heaslip healy all trending in wrong direction.
No, this us what happens with unrealistic Leinster fans. Wake up !! Smell the coffee !! Leinster aren’t good enough, simple, no matter who the coach is. Ye couldn’t wait to get rid of MOC . Hailed Leo and now are looking for his head after a handful of games. Give the guy a break and a bit of time !! Unfortunately the way the IRFU run things the provincial sides are only going to fall further and further behind the rest because of their ruling on foreign players. There is a fine balance to achieve and they have it wrong.
Agree with your comment on the IRFU
But the reason we are falling behind is because in France and England, the sugar daddies rule the roost and can buy as they wish. We need to react here accordingly. Relax the NIQ rules
Useless,why is Heaslip captain?matt o Connor was not the problem last season after all now they have a coach stuck in the headlights and players with no guts disgraceful
I don’t think Cullen is the best man for this job. He has no real experience. No point in following one bad coaching choice with another.
Bearing in mind each teams’ form going into this game, I’m pretty happy with both the performance from Leinster in the first half, and the 6-3 half time score line.
Far from their best, but at least there is a grit about Leinster that was absent last week. Bath look more dangerous, but Leinster are being resilient.
Jack McGrath will be on soon – Healy still not back to even near his best. Madigan into 10/12 at some point would help – there’s a lack of spark in the back line. Does Leo trust VDF to stick him in at open side? Louw is ruling the breakdown impressively.
Healy shadow of himself not looking good for him.
The scrum was embarrassing.
time to blood the younsters for the remaining ECC. concentrate on Pro 12 trophy. Not good news for Ireland either and Ulster were toothless last night.
How long before the Leinster board see the wood for the trees. Team are not playing as a team, they’re a disgrace and only care about what excuse to trot out this time. And Cullen? Good player but what coaching pedigree? None. Out of his depth and needs to go…NOW! Fans will vote with their feet and you’ll be seeing a quiet RDS….
And an even quieter Aviva