Padraig Harrington has fully put to rest the events of The Belfry 11 days ago when an unsigned card led to disqualification, with a tournament victory beckoning. "The golfing fates don't owe me anything," he said yesterday, while preparing for the £1.5 million Volvo PGA Championship which starts here on the West Course this morning.
By way of emphasising the point, the Dubliner went on: "People have been kind enough to say that I came out of it very well, but I would prefer to see it as being good for the game. And if I happen to find myself tied for the lead standing on the 18th tee on Monday, I won't be thinking that I deserve to birdie the hole."
He insisted: "Nothing has changed. I still expect to have to fight for anything I get from the game."
If such circumstances were to arise, however, it can be taken that golf lovers everywhere would be wishing him nothing but the best of fortune. And he would need it on a 531-yard finishing hole which has been lengthened by 29 yards, making it just about reachable with two woods. An additional 15 yards has also gone on to the 15th, stretching it to a formidable 481 yards.
The change to the 18th greatly reduces its former status as an eminently reachable "gamble" hole, where the possibility of an eagle added greatly to the excitement of this event and the World Matchplay Championship. Now, from the new tee, the large overhanging oaks on the right come very much into play at 220 yards, while the bunkers on the left, at 285 yards, will catch a long but hooked drive.
"In these days of space-age technology, it's about trying to keep the course competitive without making it unfair," said the greens superintendent, Chris Kennedy. "Over recent years with the wind behind, they could fly it over the trees on the right. Our objective was to toughen it up without taking the fairway bunkers out of play."
Defending champion Colin Montgomerie believes that the creation of the eminent English golf-course architect, Harry Colt, is now an arena only for the game's elite. "I expect the winner to come from last September's Ryder Cup team," he said. Which, of course, includes Ireland's Darren Clarke and Harrington.
There are, in fact, eight Irishmen in action, the others being Paul McGinley, Ronan Rafferty, Des Smyth and Eamonn Darcy along with the two qualifiers from the Irish Order of Merit - Neil Manchip and Damian McGrane.
In the pursuit of a £250,000 top prize, it will be interesting to see if a toughened challenge allows Montgomerie to improve on his record of 33 sub-par rounds in this event, which delivered a reward of £219 per stroke. As it happens, the Scot has won three of his last four tournaments on the West Course, including the World Matchplay last October.
Last year, he equalled the aggregate record of 270 - 18 under par - set by Bernhard Langer in 1987. And if competitors had the misguided notion that level-par rounds would yield them a comfortable, financial return here, the truth is that on average, an aggregate of 288 would have been good enough only for a share of 39th place.
Meanwhile, Clarke still leads the Order of Merit comfortably, though he has done little in Europe since beating Tiger Woods for the Andersen Consulting Matchplay in February. And when a scribe attempted yesterday to lift Clarke's spirits by suggesting that, as a Sunningdale resident, he was effectively playing at home, the Tyroneman replied: "Ireland is home for me."
He then added: "The course is in great condition and hopefully I can keep the ball in play." Which was no problem to him last year when he led at the halfway stage on 10 under par, before his challenge was effectively scuppered by a third-round 77. "My main objective is to be more aggressive with the putter," he said. "I left eight putts short of the hole during the final round of the Deutsche Bank Open last Sunday."
While Harrington was at lunch yesterday, his caddie, Dave McNeilly, passed the time on the practice ground in a decidedly curious pursuit. "I'm trying to perfect a shank," said the fourhandicapper, who felt that the solution might lie in deliberately going up on his toes at impact.
He and Harrington make a fascinating duo and one suspects that events at The Belfry have cemented the relationship. And with the caddie's help, Harrington will attempt to ignore the opposition and concentrate on competing against himself over the next four days. "Monty could be right about the top prize being limited to the Ryder Cup team," he said. "But the challenge is always the same for me: to make the best of my scoring opportunities."
Despite the handsome prize fund, the event has not attracted any challengers from the other side of the Atlantic, which means that the field includes only five players from the current top-20 of the world rankings - Montgomerie (3rd), Lee Westwood (9th), Clarke (14th), Sergio Garcia (15th) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (20th).
Still, one can ask no more of a player than he beat the best around. And on his way to victory 12 months ago, Montgomerie was a remarkable 15 under par for his closing 37 holes, starting with an eagle three on the 18th on Saturday afternoon. Against that background, he is a worthy favourite.
