Harrington must keep the faith
A determined looking Pádraig Harrington rips a drive in practice. Picture via OneAsia.asiaPrayad Marksaeng celebrated the first victory by a home player in the Thailand Open for nine years by jumping into a lake. Pádraig Harrington needs to remain true to his leap of faith with his putting.Harrington and the Man with Two Brains
Padraig Harrington gets ready to hit a shot wearing electronically wired hat as an operative (left) observes the results.Golf might be played on the six inch course between your ears but Padraig Harrington took things a step further yesterday by monitoring his brainwaves in practice.Harrington's crisis of "faith"
It’s all in the head for Padraig Harrington. Picture by Stuart Adams, www.golffile.iePadraig Harrington is short a few bob - purely on the money list, of course. But that’s not his biggest headache. He’s also been three-putting a few times too many this year too, but that’s not his main problem either.Torrance: “You cannot make changes at 40 in golf"
Padraig Harrington and caddie Ronan Flood in Killarney. Who will be next to go in Harrington’s back-room team? Photo Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ieBob Torrance reckons Padraig Harrington is on a road to nowhere and won’t win again until he turns back.
The veteran Scot, 79, insists that the Dubliner is “crazy” to make changes in his swing as he prepares to turn 40 at the end of this month.
“Disappointed” that Harrington has decided to “take a break” in their 15-year partnership, Torrance said: “He has been going down one road that I think is the wrong one and he is determined to go down that road.
“I said to him, if you go down too far, you won’t come back.
“You cannot make changes at 40 in golf. You can make them when you are in your 20’s, but once you get to 40, it is too late.
Clarke inspired by quote from the Pope
Open champion Darren Clarke was inspired to victory by The Pope.
But that’s not the head of the Roman Catholic Church but American football legend Vince Lombardi who died 41 years ago.
Psychologist Dr Bob Rotella pummelled Clarke with positive messages all week, urging him to be trust his game and play with a free mind.
But it took some magic words from the iconic 1960s Green Bay Packers coach - nicknamed the Pope because he was so religious - to make Dazza a dazzler.
"Mental case" McDowell a victim of high expectations
Graeme McDowell said: “I’m disappointed in myself and in my mental approach.” Picture Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ieGutted Graeme McDowell confessed that he was “a bit of a mental case” after he ran out of fight and crashed to a nightmare 77 to miss the cut in the Open.
The former US Open champion failed to make even one birdie in a seven-over effort that left him two shots outside the cut mark on five over par.
Trust a must for Padraig
Padraig Harrington lines up a putt last week’s Barclays Scottish Open. Picture: Stuart Adams /www.golffile.iePadraig Harrington is under doctor’s order to be more trusting on the greens this week.
The two-time Open champion has struggled to hole putts recently because he’s trying get the perfect line all the time. But mental guru Dr Bob Rotella has worked hard to convince Harrington to have more instinctive trust in his reads and the Dubliner is hoping it pays off with a third Claret Jug.
Harrington seeks help from Rotella
But while the uncertainty surrounding Woods’ eagerly awaited return has everything to do with his recovery from knee surgery eight months ago. Harrington is simply searching for trust, and his psychologist, after successive missed cuts at Pebble Beach and Riviera Country Club,