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Harrington to prepare for Open at Irish PGA

TOUR NEWS PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON is to stick to what he knows best, in preparing for his defence of the claret jug at Royal Birkdale…

PHILIP REID At Torrey Pines
Tue Jun 17 2008 - 01:00

TOUR NEWSPÁDRAIG HARRINGTON is to stick to what he knows best, in preparing for his defence of the claret jug at Royal Birkdale next month.

And, rather than play in the €3.8 million Scottish Open at Loch Lomond with its treasure chest of Ryder Cup points, the 36-year-old Dubliner has confirmed he will defend his Irish PGA Championship title at The European Club, even though the event is currently without a sponsor and will have a prize fund corresponding to one per cent of its tour equivalent.

Despite the best efforts of its chief executive, Michael McCummiskey, the Irish PGA championship - which was bailed out by a philanthropic donation from businessman Dermot Desmond last year, where Harrington fine-tuned for the ultimately successful test at Carnoustie the following week with a play-off win over Brendan McGovern - remains without a sponsor for next month's staging, scheduled to take place on July 9th-12th.

"We haven't managed to get a sponsor yet, and we're running out of options," admitted McCummiskey.

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"But the event is definitely going ahead, it's definitely happening."

The contingency plan for the championship - which will have a prize fund of between €40,000-50,000 - is that teams in the pro-am (at €2,000 a team) will be supplemented by financial support from the PGA of Britain and Ireland. Of the failure to secure a sponsor, McCummiskey said, "It's very disappointing . . . but, save for the support of Dermot Desmond, it wasn't much easier in 2007. But we're moving on, and there will be a championship."

McCummiskey's affirmation will come as some solace to Harrington, who expressed concern after his final round of the US Open that the event might be in trouble due to the lack of a sponsor.

"I've been planning on it (taking place," said Harrington, who wants competitive play over the links course to finalise his preparations for Birkdale.

Harrington's tied-36th place finish at Torrey Pines earned him $35,709 but only marginally improved his Ryder Cup standings.

At this stage, he is still outside of an automatic place but, unlike his actions of 2006, he is not inclined to add on next week's French Open to his schedule. Instead, he will stick to his policy of playing two tournaments in consecutive weeks ahead of the Open, in this case the European Open at the London Club and the Irish PGA at The European Club in Brittas Bay.

The Ryder Cup situation is very much on Harrington's mind.

"I haven't picked up points in any significant numbers," conceded Harrington. "I'm sure that will turn around. My golf has been good, steady but (also) a little erratic at times."