Padraig Harrington thinks the last time he played En-Joie Golf Course near Binghamton, New York, was in the previous millennium. That hardly slowed down the three-time major champ, however, during the first round of play at this week’s PGA Tour Champions event.
Harrington, who has been white-hot on the senior circuit this season, continued his stellar play by shooting a 66 during the opening round of action, putting him a single stroke behind leaders Jim Furyk, Darren Clarke and Vijay Singh.
So far this season, the Irish star has a victory in the U.S. Senior Open along with four second-place finishes in 10 starts.
And here’s the scary part — he thinks he’s yet to hit his ceiling.
“I don’t feel you’ve seen the best of me yet,” he said on Friday, noting the last time he’d played the course was in 1999. “I like being out here. It’s a different sort of test. You’re sort of dealing with your own expectations every day. You’re trying to figure out, well, look, I should be up here, I should be contending, I should be at the top of the leaderboard and how you manage that. It’s a different feeling than hoping.
“The more I get better at that and more familiar with it hopefully, I know I’m working on the right things and you’re kind of incentivized to work on the right things when you know it could come down to just one shot on Sunday.”
Among the many facets of his game that have clicked during his rookie year, Harrington currently leads the tour in driving, averaging over 306 yards. He’s also first in birdie average and third in greens in regulation.
Can he stay mentally tough? That’s what the 2008 PGA Tour Player of the Year is working on.
“Just my mental game, just really trying to get my mental game solid, routine solid. Physically I have quite an advantage out here, so it really is how good I think, how good I am on the greens,” he said. “And as I said, you know starting the tournament it’s on the line straightaway, so you’re incentivized to get your head in the game quickly.”
On Friday, he played with Clarke — who posted four birdies on each nine — and Bernhard Langer, who finished with a 71, in one of the day’s featured pairings. Harrington said it’s easier to maintain his focus in such an impressive group.
“A rising tide lifts all ships, there’s no doubt about it. You want to see birdies, you want to see your playing partners holing putts. You know, I think I holed a long one on 10 after Darren holed one. That sort of stuff, when you see somebody holing in front of you, it’s positive,” Harrington said. “There’s nothing like a positive affirmation of seeing it happen. Yeah, it’s important to have momentum in your group at least all the way until the last nine holes; every man for himself at that stage.”
