Harrington wary in Ras Al Khaimah: "Easily the narrowest golf course I've ever seen"
Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark plays in the pro am ahead of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club on February 01, 2023 in Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Pádraig Harrington is hoping his Dubai Desert Classic blow-up was a rare 'goalkeeping error' as he makes another attempt to become the game's oldest winner in the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.
After finishing fourth in the Abu Dhabi Championship, the Dubliner (51) crashed back to earth with an opening 81 at the Emirates and while he recovered with a brilliant 65, he's bracing himself for "the narrowest golf course I've ever seen".
"You know, the first day, I just played like a klutz," Harrington said of his first-round disaster in Dubai. "I think I get that, like once a year.
"I remember I used to get that when I was a goalkeeper as a kid. Once a year, you would let a back pass between your legs into the goal. They never substitute the goalkeeper off when he does that, and it's a bit like golf, you have to keep going."
Kinsale's John Murphy and West Waterfor's Gary Hurley join Harrington and fellow rookie Tom McKibbin at Al Hamra, wishing they'd brought their hurleys as the range sits right next to the GAA pitch used by local club RAK Ropairí GAA.
Murphy and Hurley are looking to convert a few golfing 65s in their first starts of 2023, but Harrington, who is nursing his long-term knee injury, is simply hoping to hit fairways at a course that's been toughened up since Nicolai Hojgaard won on 24-under par last year.
"It's extremely narrow," he said. "Easily the narrowest golf course I've ever seen. You've got 15 to 20 yards of fairway at most — about half the size of what you'd regularly see.
"They've made a concerted effort this year to make it tougher, and tougher doesn't mean better."
Ryan Fox is the only member of the world's top 50 at Ras Al Khaimah, but there are seven at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Jordan Spieth and Seamus Power are the top four players in the field.
Power was disappointed with his putting in Abu Dhabi, but he will be looking for a good week at Pebble Beach, where he let a winning chance escape last year.
He opened with back-to-back 64s to set a 36-hole scoring record and build a five-shot lead, only to follow a three-over 75 at Monterey Peninsula with a 72 at Pebble Beach on Sunday to finish tied ninth, six shots behind Tom Hoge.
Eight of the world's top 50 are in action at the PIF Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club near Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Former world number four Graeme McDowell will be one of 12 Major winners in action when he returns after a two-month break alongside reigning Open champion Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and Bubba Watson, Europeans Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia and South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel.
European Ryder Cup stars Ian Poulter, Paul Casey and Lee Westwood also teeing it up alongside new LIV Golf signings, Chile's Mito Pereira and Colombia's Sebastian Muñoz.
Smith spent the end of last year in his native Australia, where he got to show off the Claret Jug at his home club.
"I'd describe it as like seeing a ghost," he said of the reaction he got to the trophy.
The LPGA does not return to action until later this month, but while the Chinese event has been cancelled due to COVID, Leona Maguire still plans to warm up for the Honda LPGA Thailand (February 23) and the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore (March 2) at the $5 million Saudi Ladies International at Royal Greens from February 16-19.
Meanwhile, the R&A announced the launch of The G4D Open over the Duchess course at Woburn from 10-12 May.
"It's unbelievable," said Louth's Brendan Lawlor, number two in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability. "It's not just about competing in the event and winning; it's also about etching your name in the history books.
"We've done that a few times as golfers, including when I became the first player with a disability to play on the European Challenge Tour in 2019 and the DP World Tour in 2020, which were big milestones. To win this new championship would be just as big in my eyes."
The Challenge Tour also returns to action after the winter break with Conor Purcell and Ruaidhri McGee flying the flag in the Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open at Royal Cape.
