SOUTHPORT, England — I live near the course with some friends, one of whom has a good grip that would make Lucas Glover jealous. In other words, he knows golf. He said of Padraig Harrington in the first round of the 80s, “He should be very ashamed.”
“I can almost guarantee it, can’t I,” I said.
We were both doing the same math. Harrington won the Open, here at Royal Birkdale, in 2008, playing in the final round with Greg Norman of his own. (Nick Faldo, doing TV analysis, looked at Norman’s yip-free putting stroke, at age 53, and said, “It’s not fair.”) Earlier this month, Harrington won the US Open at Scioto, a senior win, for the 50-and-over crowd. Paddy is 54.
“Why do you say that?” Bob asked. His hands are as black as George Hamilton’s face. All that farming, of some sort.
Because Paddy’s thing, forever, has been: Do your best, and what you shoot, you shoot.
Harrington followed his 80 (10 over, ’round here) with a 69 (one under). After he signed his card, I told him what Bob had said, and told him my reaction and asked him to weigh in and take over. He measured and took. This is what he said, slightly edited. Padraig Harrington doesn’t need much planning.
Padraig says:
“I was trying to hit a big shot for a long time on Thursday, the big shot is 88. Two fat ladies: 88. I tried every shot, trying to break 80. I shot 80.
“Today, 69. Difference between Thursday and Friday? Just golf. I didn’t play any better today than yesterday. I can tell you after yesterday, I was determined to go out and shoot a good number. I didn’t play well yesterday and maybe I should have shot 75. I didn’t play much better today. Yesterday I had a few breaks that didn’t help me. But there was a little difference.
In short:
He was not ashamed of his 80.
He wasn’t too impressed with his 69.
He is upset that he missed the square.
But that’s how it goes. As Harrington says, “Golf.”
Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com.
