Philip Reid talks to Ireland's top player, who has confidence in his game despite recent form lapses

If the alarm bells have started to ring about his game, Padraig Harrington doesn't hear them. "I have to tell you straight out, I'm swinging the club well and I am happier with my swing than I have ever been," insisted the Dubliner, Europe's number one player, who, statistically and in his results, has taken a step back in his campaign in the majors this year.

As the dust settled on the last major of the year, the US PGA, and Harrington on Sunday night moved on to his next intended assignment - this week's WGC-NEC Invitational in Akron, Ohio, where his participation is dependant on whether his wife, Caroline, gives birth to the couple's first child - he referred to his current form, which has seen him without a win since capturing the TPC of Europe in May, as nothing more than "a little blip".

He acknowledged: "Mentally, I feel a little bit too focused on my swing. I'm not as sharp as I should be on the golf course. Okay, I've dropped off a little bit in the last couple of weeks . . . but how much I have dropped off is a little blip, whereas a lot of people are looking at it and reading too much into it, more than they should.

"I know there is a lot of expectations (on me) but I am still having a pretty solid year. I know I haven't played as well on the golf course as I did earlier on in the year, and I didn't play well in the US PGA, but I was a little bit sharper and got the ball around whereas, on other times, I was just not sharp as well as not playing well.

"I am getting there and I am very happy with where my game is at."

After a flying start to the season that saw Harrington finish runner-up to Davis Love in the Players Championship at Sawgrass and, despite missing the cut at the US Masters, then go on to take the TPC of Europe in a play-off over Thomas Bjorn (his fourth win in eight months), he has only managed to secure one top-10 finish, at the US Open, with his other results including tied-61st at the European Open, tied-22nd at the British Open and a missed cut at the Irish Open.

Harrington, though, is unconcerned.

"It is one of those things that's going to happen during a year," he explained.

"You're not going to play well for 12 months of the year. Generally, if you look at my past performances, I do struggle during the summer months. At the end of the day, if I've had such a bad week, and finished 29th, there's a lot of fellas would like to have that."

Harrington earned €32,821 in prize money for his finishing position.

He also dismissed concerns that, in striving for peak physical fitness, he may have lost too much weight. "I'm 12 stone 2 lb now, and I have been lower. When I won in Brazil (the Sao Paolo Open in 2000), I was 11-12. I'm not bothered by the weight, it will settle itself, and I feel great about myself."

While Harrington's immediate schedule depends on family matters, he has confirmed that he will play in next month's Irish PGA Championship at Adare Manor - "I want to play the Irish PGA, it is the kind of golf that I need to go and play," he said - and then the plan is to defend his Dunhill Links championship in Scotland.

Harrington flew to Akron on Sunday night with the intention to play in the NEC, saying he would only change his mind if Caroline were to show signs of going into labour. The Irish contingent in the field will also comprise Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley, who both missed the cut in the US PGA by a shot.

Meanwhile, Alex Cejka's fourth-place finish in the US PGA, giving him the honour of being the leading European finisher, earned him €258,260 and gave support to his decision to base himself in the United States in his bid to become a better player. This is his first full year on the US Tour, after finishing second in the qualifying school, and he has surpassed €1 million in prizemoney.

"I want to be able to commit myself to both tours, the US and European," he said, "but it will be difficult for me to play the required number of events in Europe.

"With the Ryder Cup in Detroit next year, and Bernhard Langer as captain, I intend making that one of my targets, to get a place on that team. I think this is another step forward in my career and shows that my decision to come to play in America was the correct one. I believe that the trend in future years will see more and more European players playing over here."