Harrington's Christmas cheer

By Brian Keogh

Padraig Harrington says putting the Claret Jug on the dinner table this Christmas might not be a bad idea.

But his wife Caroline will have a tough time finding a Christmas present to match the birthday gift she gave the Open champion after his Carnoustie win.

The Dubliner has been zipping around the capital in a brand new Aston Martin that has been greatly admired by everyone who sees it.

He said: “I was filling it up at a petrol station and this chap pulls up alongside and says, 'Great win in the Open and nice car'.

“That sealed it for me. When someone feels they can say 'nice car" in the same sentence as congratulating you on winning the Open, then you can be fairly sure of one thing - you've got a nice car. "

Harrington was in joke-telling form at the Target World Challenge last week.

Asked for his Joke of the Year, the Dubliner came up with this gem:

“Tiger Woods meets Stevie Wonder out on the golf course. And Tiger says: ‘Nice to meet you Stevie.’ And Stevie Wonder says: ‘Nice to meet you Tiger.’

Stevie asks Tiger, how his game is and Tiger says it’s pretty good. So Tiger is sitting there going, ‘I suppose I should ask about the music.’ And Stevie says, ‘Would you not ask me how my golf is?’

“And Tiger says, ‘Oh, do you play golf?’ And Stevie says, ‘Yeah I play golf.’

“‘Oh you play golf’, says Tiger. And Stevie says, ‘I play off scratch handicap.’ And Tiger says, Yeah, right!

“But Stevie says, ‘I work on feel. I have a friend who comes out and goes 250 yards down the fairway and makes a sound. From the sound I can tell where to go and hit it spot on 250 yards.

“‘He goes up to the green and again, when I am putting, he makes a little sound where the hole is and off I go.’

“’That's unbelievable, says Tiger. ‘I'll tell you what, we'll have game.’

“So Stevie Wonder says, ‘I'll play you level for $100.’

“And Tiger says, ‘Ah. Now I know you are having me on.’

“But SW says, ‘No problem. Any night you want!’”