Padraig Harrington was heading south and a 26th Open Championship and not looking to make-up the Royal Liverpool numbers following his his top-50 finish at the Genesis Scottish Open.
Harrington did end on the bogey train with three closing bogeys in a round of a four-over par 74 for a three-under-par tally in really tough windy conditons, so tough the wind-whipped foreshore of the closeby Forth of Firth looked more akin to a washing machine.
Fortunately, Tour officials did the best they could bringing some tees forward and providing overall generous pin positions for the final round, and with tee-times brought forward for a second day running.
“The conditions were much tougher there at the end but the good thing is that they set-up the holes easy enough,” said Harrington.
“Though saying that, the 17th and 18th holes were playing really tough but they did set-up the golf course pretty easy all the way around.
“It was one of those days where you know you going to make a few bogeys but as long as you keep making a couple of birdies.
“We know that golfers come off the course all the time saying it wasn’t my day, I didn’t get the breaks and so on, and it certainly seemed like that for me but the whole week was pretty good for me.
“I didn’t come out on top in the putting stats but I played a lot worse and done a lot better, and I’m not as chirpy today as I was two days ago”.
In fact, Harrington managed birdies at the second, fifth and 10th holes but dropped shots at four, six, eight, 13 and the closing three.
Then in yet another reflection of his character he happily signed all of the autographs from those waiting for him proir heading to the clubhouse to clean out his locker and head onto this week’s 151st Open Championship.
Harrington made his Open Championship debut at the 1996 Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Annes, finishing T18th behind American Tom Lehman.
And now, all these year’s later the soon-to-be 52-year-old is teeing-up in yet another Open Championship.
“Yes, my thoughts now turn to Royal Liverpool and while I’ve been there a couple of times before (2006 and 2014), I’ve never done well,” said Harrington who missed the cut on both visits.
“I don’t know why that is, so I am hoping the golf course will be a little bit kinder to me.
“I’m going there not thinking about that I have won The Open twice before, as you go there just to try and do your job properly. Though there will come a year I will go there and just wave to the crowd (smiling).
“The great thing about Royal Liverpool is that played the Home Internationals there as an amateur (In 1993) and won all my matches (smiling)”.
And when reminded this week will be a 26th Open, Harrington said: “Wow! My 26th Open! I know I missed 2005 when my dad passed away. So, it’s 26 Opens?”
