The back-to-back US Open winning duo of Graeme McDowell and Lucas Glover share their disbelief Padraig Harrington is not exempt into next month’s Masters.
Unless Harrington can clinch either this week’s Valero Texas Open or next week’s Shell Houston Open than it will see the triple Major winner end a 14-year unbroken appearance at Augusta National.
And since making his Masters debut in 2000, Harrington also has missed just one of the intervening 56 Majors and that was the 2005 British Open and when his father passed away.
Graeme McDowell in disbelief Padraig Harrington has not qualified for the Masters. (Photo – David Lloyd/www.golffile.ie)
McDowell has spoken often of the inspiration Harrington provided in the Dubliner winning half of six Major Championships in 2007 and 2008, and how that helped him to victory in the 2010 US Open.
But with the Masters now just a fortnight away McDowell expressed his surprise Harrington may be absent from the year’s first Major.
“It’s just crazy that as this stage Padraig won’t be at Augusta, and I was just saying the other day that there’s another standout player in Retief Goosen, who went so close to winning the Masters a while ago, also won’t be at the Masters,” said McDowell.
“It’s hard to imagine those two guys not yet in the Masters and it just shows how volatile this sport is, and it doesn’t take much mediocre golf before you start dropping down the rankings and not qualifying.”
Harrington contested the final round of Sunday’s concluding Arnold Palmer Invitational in the company of 2009 US Open winner, Lucas Glover.
However Glover, who won by two shots at New York’s Bethpage Park, admitted he was tempted to bring up the subject of whether or not Harrington was into the Masters and despite the Dubliner producing a round of 80 and his equal worst score in 724 PGA Tour starts.
Lucas Glover also surprised Padraig Harrington had not yet earned a place in next month’s Masters. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
It’s always fun playing with Padraig and we’ve known each other for a long time, and I love playing with him and I love watching him but it wasn’t his best day,” said Glover.
“But then the best thing about Padraig is he never gets mad or gets down on himself, as a lot of guys out here who shooting are score like an 80 would have had an effect on me.
“Padraig didn’t react and in fact, he was pumping me up to go lower and keeping me loose.
“But I thought about the fact during our round as to whether or not he’s into the Masters. I was going to ask him his schedule but as that question entered my head I started thinking that I better not ask the question just in case he’s not into Augusta.
“So when I started thinking about it, I sort of worked out he wasn’t and I couldn’t think of a way he could have qualified given he’s run out of exemptions, so I didn’t push the subject.
“But then knowing now he’s not into the Masters is hard to believe.”
Harrington has two last bites at earning a Masters invitation cherry and that’s simple in that he needs to clinch one of the next two events in Texas.
