PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON could afford to sit down on Sunday night and devour the statistics. Sure, a win in the New Orleans Classic had escaped his clutches with Andres Romero getting one back on him for what happened at Carnoustie last year. but, in the countdown to next week's US Masters, the 37-year-old Dubliner could take more positives than negatives with him on the flight to Texas for the Shell Houston Open, his final preparatory tournament ahead of the season's first major.
"I was pleased, as I got more into contention my focus got sharper . . . now, I've only got another four rounds of golf to make sure it's sharp the first day in Augusta," remarked Harrington, who finished tied-fourth behind Romero in New Orleans.
That was his second top-four finish in only four outings on the US Tour this season (he finished third in the Los Angeles Open in February), and it moved him to 28th on the US money list with $793,227.
Also, and potentially most significantly, Harrington has moved to first in the putting stats, with a miserly 26.67 average on tour in the US this year. So, all seems well with Harrington's preparations ahead of Augusta, where he will be the lone Irish player in the field.
Incidentally, Harrington has moved up to sixth on the world points table in Europe's Ryder Cup qualifying campaign.
Graeme McDowell, 61st in the world rankings, decided against seeking a late sponsor's invitation into Houston, which offers players the final possible route to earning an invite into the Masters. The winner in Houston, if not already qualified, will be added to the list of invitees.
Peter Lonard's runner-up finish to Romero in New Orleans moved him to 46th (from 72nd) in the world rankings and earned him a place in the Masters' field.
"I've never made a cut at Augusta, so it didn't really worry me whether I'm going or not . . . . but I would like another go before I die," said Lonard.
Harrington, who bypassed the CA World Championship a fortnight ago in an attempt to peak for the Masters, contended coming down the stretch in New Orleans. But he attributed his failure to catch Romero to his opening round "focus" rather than to any failings in a final round 69, which included a bogey on the par five finishing hole where he put his second shot, a five-wood of 232 yards to the green from a fairway bunker, into the water.
"I was quite happy in that I was in the zone for the last nine holes," said Harrington. "But the way I started the tournament, being three over after three holes, it is no wonder to me why I didn't win. I'd a lot of errors early in the tournament and that's what I have to work on (ahead of Augusta)."
Harrington is one of those players, unlike Tiger Woods, who prefers to play the week before a major. Phil Mickelson, also in the field this week at Houston, is another. So is Ernie Els. However, Els has been forced to withdraw form the tournament in Texas because of a virus, giving him an unexpected two weeks off before going to the Masters.
"I am very disappointed to have been forced to make this decision because I was really looking forward to playing," Els said in a statement. "The Houston Open was going to be an important part of my build-up toward the Masters, but I have been advised that it would not be in my best interests to play."
Els is suffering from a similar virus to the one that caused him to arrive late at the CA Championship, his last competitive outing, where he failed to break par in all four rounds and finished at the bottom of the field.
The South African had planned to play five out of six weeks in the States to prepare for the Masters, but wound up playing just three, with two unexpected free weeks ahead of going to Augusta. He won the Honda Classic at the start of the Florida swing for his first US victory in three and a half years, but missed the cut the following week at the Pods Championship and then pulled out of the Bay Hill Invitational, citing fatigue.
Romero will seek to continue his good form in Houston, as he also builds to Augusta. The Argentinian had already qualified for the Masters with his third-place finish behind Harrington in last year's British Open, a result that earned him his 2008 US Tour card. In winning at New Orleans, he became the fourth straight player to claim a maiden US Tour win at that tournament.
While Harrington fine-tunes for the Masters by playing in Houston, there is a strong Irish presence in the field for the Portuguese Masters at Estoril. Paul McGinley, who finished third behind McDowell in the Ballentines tournament in Korea on his last appearance, returns to competition in Portugal, where he is joined in the field by Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane, Gary Murphy, Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke.
Spain's Pablo Martin is the defending champion.
ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS (at TPC of Louisiana): Leading final scores (US unless stated, par 72): 275 - A Romero (Arg) 73 69 65 68; 276 - P Lonard (Aus) 67 70 70 69; 277 - T Wilkinson (Nzl) 71 68 71 67; 278 - W Austin 69 71 67 71, N Thompson 69 71 67 71, P Harrington (Ire) 71 70 68 69; 279 - J Merrick 72 67 67 73, T Petrovic 74 68 66 71, T Armour III 70 68 75 66.
