Padraig Harrington has returned to Durban on the east South Africa coastline 17 years after making his wEuropean Tour debut.
Harrington had been in Nairobi for a Challenge Tour event and got a start in his first European Tour event when three other players withdrew and decided not to travel to Durban for the FNB Players Championship staged on this week’s same Volvo Champions host venue at the Durban Country Club.
Despite confessing to playing “terribly” from tee to green, the now three-time Major Champion finished in a tie for 49th place in a tournament won by Wayne Westner – a result which helped convince Harrington he belonged on The European Tour.
“I rang home and said, “Mum, I’ve just finished 49th, I won, £1,480 pounds – and I couldn’t have played much worse. They are just giving it away!” he laughed.
“Back then, £1,480 was a fortune. The most I had ever won before that was about £300.
Padraig Harrington and trusted caddy, Rohan Flood on the Volvo Champions practice range – this week located on playing fields beside the home ground of the Super 15 Natal Sharks. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
“So it gave me great momentum, because having played poorly from tee to green, I walked away from the tournament thinking: “Wow, I can play a lot better, and yet I still made the cut, and I still made some money.”
“So I really felt like I belonged.
“Whereas, if my first tournament was at, say, Wentworth, I might have shot 72 and 73 to miss the cut, been 20 shots behind the leader and felt like I should never go and play with the pros again, because I wasn’t good enough.”
Now 17 years on and Harrington has captured 14 titles and amassed in excess of €23million in career earnings on The European Tour.
However he tees up in South Africa’s third largest city not having tasted success since capturing the 2008 US PGA Championship.
And while he tees up having ‘beefed up’ considerably over the winter to now weighing 210 pounds, the Dubliner has high hopes for the 2013 campaign, and is itching to return to competitive action after six weeks away from the game.
“I really do like starting a tournament where there’s no cut, and no matter what happens this week, I’m going to get four rounds,” he proudly boasted.
“Sometimes I’ve avoided coming here in the past because it’s the South African players’ summer and they are all ready to play and you’re a little bit rusty.
“You shoot a couple of 72s, don’t play too badly but still miss the cut. So you spend another weekend on the range, which is not really helping things, because you need a card in your hand. Whereas this week, if I play well I have a chance of winning the tournament – and even if things don’t go well for me on Thursday and Friday, I still have Saturday and Sunday to find some form.
“If you shoot 75-75-75-65, I guarantee you’re feeling pretty good about your game. Whereas if you shoot 72-72 and miss the cut in a normal event, you’re feeling miserable.
“So it’s huge getting that extra couple of rounds in, no matter what. I think a lot of players know they will get a nice start to the year and get some momentum going. Hopefully I can get off on the right foot and set myself up nicely for a great season ahead.”
Harrington, who is among four Irish in the field chasing the Euro 350,000 first prize cheque, will play the first two rounds in the cpmpany of Scotland’s Scott Jamieson.
Jamieson returns to competition having captured the Nelson Mandella Challenge and at the nearby Royal Durban club on his last visit last month to South Africa.
