The Open

Time goes by quickly, here we are yet again looking on to see if Harrington can defend his title again at Turnberry. To ask any man to defend a title for a third time is a tall order, and for Harrington who is not himself lately it could be a big ask.

But we never know, maybe there’s something in Harrington that clicks when it comes to The Open, its too wonderful a prize to surrender and we know Harrington is good for a fight. However Harrington seems not to believe it himself. Last year he was very level headed in his approach to a second title, but he saw it as a challenge, and a challenge he wanted to win.

But this year one Tiger Woods lurks about the links course at Turnberry. Has Woods presence made Harrington worry. There has been questions about Harrington majors, could he have win if Tiger was there. The answer is yes, he did in 2007 Open at Carnoustie, maybe its history that’s effecting Harrington. He was the first European to retain the title since 1906, first European winner of USPGA Championship in 78 years in 2008, so Harrington is well use to creating history. To note the last man to achieve three in a row in The Open was Peter Thompson from 1954-56.

We know Harrington is adjusting his swing to improve his golf, we ask why, his swing has already won him three majors. Maybe there’s a Tiger influence, last summer Harrington dominated world golf, with Tiger on his sick bed. Tiger is man consistently looking at ways to improve, maybe Harrington took note, maybe Harrington got scared his swing was no longer a match for Tiger or more importantly for winning more majors. Like most people who are successful reinventing themselves keeps them on top, so far Harrington’s reinvention needs more time on the drawing more.

Personally I think Harrington has no sleepless nights over Woods, making history is not a problem for him we know all this. It could be that the attention that success brings is interfering with Harrington. He is now under the microscope more, every action looked at, examined, replayed and analysed. The last few years Harrington has been a novelty a breath of fresh air, mainly down to creating history and the professional manor in which he conducts himself off the course. Now he is a three times major winner, now he's two times Open defender, now he will be man who falls of the perch if he loses, the man who will fail in creating history for not winning. Typically the papers are on to him and we are asking too much of him. It could well be Harrington needs a few years without a crown to get his form, before he hits another major winning run.

When Harrington won in 2007 I believed he would never win a major again, simply because he has always been great at runner up and failing to kill off tournaments. I felt the mental and physical demands would over power him. I felt that he if achieved one major he could tell himself it was all worthwhile and grow old happy. But he proved me wrong, very wrong. There have been many winners of majors not just in golf that were one hit wonders. They won and disappeared, but at that time on that day they were the greatest. To maintain the mental and physical demands to keep winning as Tiger does are incredible. It is this sustainability that makes great sports people and Harrington like Tiger is one of them. But how one maintains it for longer is what separates the greats from the truly GREAT.