In a frank interview ahead of next fortnight’s Open Championship, Padraig Harrington confessed he does not need to win for the assurance that changes he has brought into his game are correct.

Harrington has not won on either the European Tour or PGA Tour since capturing the 2008 PGA Championship.

He split with long-time coach, Bob Torrance and more recently has been working with renowned Peter Cowen.

Padraig Harrington wins the 2008 PGA Championship and his last win on either the European or PGA Tour.

But despite a win on the Asian Tour in late 2010, Harrington is still looking that first taste of success since being handed the gleaming Rodman Wanamaker Trophy in August 2008.

And while he went close to victory in last week’s Irish Open, the triple Major winner believes he does not have to win to know what he’s been working on of late is right.

“I personally don’t need to win,” he said.

“I’ve made many changes in my golfing career and I continually change.  I made a substantial change after the U.S. Open two weeks ago going into Travelers. So it’s just my nature.  I will change all the time.

“So I don’t need the results all the time; as in, I don’t have to have results to prove it.

“But I think it would be valid to say that you do need wins every so often in order to ease the pressure, let’s say, the external pressure.  Yes, a win would be very important for me.  I believe it’s coming.”

Harrington was speaking also ahead of the Scottish Open starting next Thursday in Inverness.

In past years, the Dubliner has relied on the experience of contesting the Irish PGA Championship on the much-acclaimed European Club at Brittas Bay for his pre-Open Championship experience.

And after finishing seventh in the Irish Open Harrington again reinterated winning is not everything heading to The Open.

“I don’t need to win a tournament,” he said.

“I need to be in contention.  I’ve done that the last couple of weeks and hopefully I can do that.

“Being in contention is the same, your mind is going the same way. Winning, if anything, winning the Scottish Open would make it harder the following week because winning takes a lot out of you.

“Winning the Scottish Open, it would have its pluses, no doubt about it.  And if I win the Scottish Open, I would be telling you exactly the reason why it’s going to help me win The Open… If it doesn’t go well for me, I’ll be able to discount it.  If it goes well, well, I’d say that shows more of the same.

“We have got to create a reality no matter what.  We have got to create our own reality going into any tournament.

“So whatever happens at the Scottish Open, come Monday morning, I’ll be putting a positive spin on it going into or even if I did win it, maybe I would be playing it down a little bit going into The Open.

“You know, we’d be telling you little fibs when it comes to the week of the tournament just to get our game in the right place… not that I’d ever tell fibs.”