Harrington admits he's "a little burnt out"

A serious looking Pádraig Harrington during a practice round for the US PGA at Oak Hill. Picture: Eoin Clarke www.golffile.iePádraig Harrington’s recent blogs have stood out for the repeated use of adjectives such as “frustrating” and “disappointing” but his latest update portrays a man utterly spent after a horrific run of results.

Scheduled to play the Celtic Manor Wales Open and the Omega European Masters over the next fortnight, one wonders where he will find the enthusiasm.

After missing the cut in the Wyndham Championship last week - his fifth missed cut in six starts and his ninth of the season [a career low] - he failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time.

A return to Europe has been hailed as the ideal panacea to his ills but one wonders what difference a change of scenario will make to a player whose confidence is at such a low ebb.

“There are still many tournaments for me over the rest of the season and so being fully rested and ready to go will be crucial,” Harrington suggests in his blog.  “For now I am going to take a weeks family holiday and then head home.”

Whether Harrington writes the blogs himself or not might be an important point here.

“The first round was the main problem really and that all came down to putting,” the blog runs.  “I missed six putts from six feet and under, which was definitely the worst putting round of my life.  

“All in all it was a very disappointing week.  I am going to take a couple of weeks off to rest as I definitely feel that I am a little burnt out and in need of a break.”

Harrington once claimed he would be gone - “burnt out” - by the age of 40 as he put so much effort into his game.

He turns 42 in just over a week’s time and one can only hope that some family time and a little R&R will help rekindle the spark of old.