Houston, TX …
Padraig Harrington will leave his Dublin convalescing couch and join SKY Sports as part of their Masters coverage team at Augusta National.
Harrington is recovering from undergoing shoulder surgery 13 days ago but has been given the all clear by doctors to cross ‘The Pond’ to get behind the SKY microphones.
Padraig Harrington last at the Masters in 2016. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
It will Harrington’s 16th trip to the Masters but a first time he will not be travelling to the year’s first Major Championship with his clubs since making his ‘inside the ropes’ debut in 2000.
His best finish is T5th both in 2002 and 2008 while Harrington’s missed the cut in his last two showings in 2013 and 2o15.The potential 2022 European Ryder Cup captain will join past and present Ryder Cup captains in Paul McGinley and Thomas Bjorn along with Butch Harmon as part of SKY’s coverage of the Masters.
Sadly, just two Irish will tee-up on April 6th Masters headed by Rory McIlroy and joined by Shane Lowry.
It was only two years ago Ireland boasted five Masters competitors.
And it is England again breaking Augusta records for the most non-USA born players in the event with 11 players teeing-up and headed by defending Masters champion, Danny Willett.
Joining the England contingent today (MON) was former Irish Open winner Ross Fisher and recent Abu HSBC Dhabi champ, Tommy Fleetwood and securing their place by now being inside the top-50 on the World Rankings.
There remains just one invitation into the Masters and that will be handed out, if he’s not already exempt, to this week’s Shell Houston Open winner.
And also for a first occasion in a long time not one Irish is competing this week in America’s fourth largest city.
West Waterford’s Seamus Power is on standby as third reserve into the $US 7m event.
