GOLF: Philip Reidon how Pádraig Harrington went to the Royal Birkdale with a bad wrist and playing down his prospects. How wrong he was. The came Oakland Hills.
IN TRUTH, who of us can tell what the future holds? On July 16th last, a Wednesday if you must know, Pádraig Harrington couldn't play any real golf on the links at Royal Birkdale.
It was the day before he would begin his defence of the Claret Jug, the final practice day, and the Dubliner - who'd injured his wrist in a gym exercise the previous Saturday evening, when hitting what amounted to a giant beanbag - rated his chances of teeing up in the following day's first round at "75 per cent" and gave lesser odds, "probably 50-50," at lasting four days.
Observers of the champion who grimaced in pain and released the club on the three shots he attempted to hit on the 10th hole that day would have thought those odds too generous.
He didn't remotely look like a man who could muster any sort of defence of the famous silver jug; he'd returned to the RA on the Monday and his sore wrist ached and his mind was in turmoil.
Hindsight, as someone once remarked, is "the only perfect science". And, looking back, we know that not only did Harrington manage to survive all four rounds, he managed to retain the British Open . . . although, no one - not even the player himself - could have known that, within a month, he would take another step towards golfing immortality by adding the Wanamaker Trophy as US PGA champion to the collection of major trophies on his breakfast table at home in Rathmichael, in the foothills of the Dublin mountains.
On that Wednesday in July, though, Harrington was in a strange place. For someone who likes to be in control of his own destiny, things were out of his hands.
Dale Richardson, an Australian sports chiropractor, was tasked with the job of correcting the soft tissue damage in his wrist and also the inflamed stabiliser muscle just below his elbow.
As we now know, Richardson succeeded just as brilliantly in getting his man right as his patient did on the windswept links.
If Harrington's preparations for Birkdale were far from ideal - on that Wednesday, he was restricted to pitching and putting and walked the course to observe how the likes of Doug McGuigan, Hennie Otto, Jeff Overton and Darren Fichardt played their shots from the tees and into greens - there was to be an authority about his play once the major championship got under way that was as impressive as any major winner in recent years, including any of Tiger Woods's major successes.
On this occasion, there was no Woods in the field. The world's number one had won the season's second major, the US Open at Torrey Pines in June after a play-off with Rocco Mediate, but in doing so sustained further damage to his knee ligament injury.
The injury ruled him out of golf for the remainder of the year, and led to Australian Geoff Ogilvy suggesting that the winner's name on the Claret Jug should have an asterisk beside it.
Harrington's performance was so dominant, especially on the final day, that there was no need for any asterisk.
He was a more than worthy champion and it should be pointed out his maiden major win (at Carnoustie in 2007) had come in far less convincing fashion but with a certain Mr Woods in the field.
For 2008, after a winter that had seen him contract shingles and enter the year with less off-course preparation than he would have liked, Harrington nevertheless targeted the majors.
An insight into his new, elevated way of thinking was delivered behind the 18th green on the Sunday of the final round of the US Masters at Augusta National. He had finished fifth, in a tournament won by South Africa's Trevor Immelman, but Harrington wasn't satisfied with his lot.
On that Sunday evening at Augusta, Harrington had that faraway look that sometimes inveigles a way into his psyche. Physically, he was there; but his mind was elsewhere. He looked distracted.
"I feel like I'm walking away from here saying, 'yeah, there's nothing in my golf swing that needs to be worked on if I'm to win more majors'. It's all there. It's just a question of getting the best out of me in the weeks of the majors . . . I need to concentrate on my strengths and my ability and the fact that I am good down the stretch."
If Harrington was to finish off the pace in the US Open, where Woods defied his knee injury to claim a 14th major, the defence of his title in the British Open on the Lancashire coast was to prove a defining moment in the Irishman's season.
Without a win on tour since he triumphed in Carnoustie, Harrington had prepared - just as he had 12 months previously - by winning the Irish PGA championship at The European Club at Brittas Bay in Co Wicklow.
What proved different this time was the injury he sustained in his house gym, an injury that severely limited his preparations and, yet, in its own way, allowed him to keep his mind away from the pressures of defending the title.
Once Richardson got him fit to play, Harrington - physically and mentally fresh, with no practice rounds over the course - proved more than up to the challenge of defending a crown he had won in a play-off with Sergio Garcia the previous year.
This time, there would be no need for a play-off. This time, Harrington, moving with stealth as each round progressed, emerged as a four-stroke winner over his nearest challenger, Ian Poulter.
Harrington's first round was played in the worst of the weather. It was cold, wet and windy on the Thursday morning as Harrington - who'd hit some shots on the range, flinching on one or two but deciding he was well enough to set out in defence of his title - opened with a 74 that left him five shots behind first round leaders Graeme McDowell, Mediate and Robert Allenby.
What followed for Harrington were rounds of 68 and 72 (on a third day when the average score was 75.8) that moved him into a share of second place with KJ Choi going into the final round.
Greg Norman, the 53-year-old Australian, who defied his age - and lack of competitive tournament play - to roll back the years and dare to dream of another British Open title was the surprise leader.
It was not to be, of course. Norman was forced to settle for a share of third place alongside Henrik Stenson, two shots behind runner-up Poulter and six adrift of Harrington.
On that Sunday in July midst the Lancashire sand hills, Harrington was a giant among men.
For the first time since James Braid in 1906, a European golfer had successfully defended the British Open and it was the first time in 80 years consecutive champions had won back-to-back, Bobby Jones (1926-1927) and Walter Hagen (1928-1929) linking with Tiger Woods (2005-2006) and Harrington (2007-2008).
August company, to be sure.
Harrington effectively secured a successful retention of the title with a magnificent eagle on the par five 17th, where he hit a five-wood approach from 249 yards to three feet. He coolly and calmly rolled in the eagle putt, and could - along with caddie Ronan Flood - enjoy the walk of a champion up the 18th fairway, safe in the knowledge he had a four shot lead.
Harrington covered the back nine in four-under.
"The way he finished, a true champion finishes that way," opined Norman.
What followed in August was even more mind-blowing, as Harrington - less than a month after retaining the Claret Jug - won the US PGA championship at Oakland Hills, finishing two shots clear of Garcia and Ben Curtis.
"That was Tiger-like," remarked Curtis of Harrington's final day play, which saw the Irishman complete his weather-interrupted third round for a 66 and, then, return to the tough parkland course to fire another 66 that gave him back-to-back major wins and a third career major.
Experience had taught Harrington that majors are won and lost on the back nine of the final round.
At Oakland Hills, just as he had done at Birkdale, Harrington proved he had the required ingredients for glory. In fulfilling his quest, Harrington's eyes took on a manic look.
"Scary," is how he later described them. But his focus was genuine, and he played one great shot after another down the stretch and single-putted the final three greens in the final round to claim the title.
"I've got to get to grips with who I am as a player, and where I am," Harrington was to remark after laying claim to the season's final major, his second in succession and his third in six majors. "I've won as many majors now as Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh.
"And they are considered that next tier behind Tiger. I'm the youngest of the three of them, and that says a lot. I'm the youngest and I have three majors. I feel like my game is going from strength to strength."
While Harrington's world domination was the remarkable icing on the cake for Irish golf in 2008, there was much for Ireland's other tour players to cherish.
Graeme McDowell (Ballantines championship and Scottish Open) and Darren Clarke (Asian Open and Dutch Open) each won twice on the PGA European Tour, while Damien McGrane (China Open) and Peter Lawrie (Spanish Open) made breakthrough wins that left nobody in any doubt that Irish golf is not just a one-man show.
What We Already Knew
Pádraig Harrington had it in him to win majors, he'd proved that at the British Open in Carnoustie in 2007 when winning the hard way. We thought there was no other way for him to win.
What We Learned
Pádraig Harrington had more in him. In retaining the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale, he made it look easy. It wasn't, but his five-wood approach to the 71st to set up eagle was the stuff of true champions and the way he closed out the US PGA confirmed he had moved up and beyond wildest expectations.
What We Think Might Happen
The world will start spinning again in 2009, with the return of Tiger Woods to the fairways. Crocked leg or not, his sights are still set on Jack Nicklaus's all-time career record of 18 majors. Woods has four to go to equal him.
