Less than a month before next year’s rescheduled hosting of the Ryder Cup and European Team captain, Padraig Harrington turns 50.
As such, it will make him eligible to tee-up on the PGA Champions Tour and Europe’s Legends Tour.
Padraig Harrington’s not hiding from the fact he’s looking forward to turning 50 next August and join the Champions and Legends Tour’s (Photo @tourmiss)
And after posting an opening score of 67 at the Bermuda Championship, Harrington confirmed he’s confirming he was keeping one eye of the Champions Tour efforts such as Phil Mickelson winning his opening two over-50s tournaments.
“I do look at the scores and possibly even before the PGA Tour scores, I look at the Champions Tour scores,” said Harrington.
“I don’t know what that tells you. I would play wherever I think I could win and that’s it.
“So, if I don’t think I can win out here, I won’t play here. I’m not here to turn out, I’m here to try and win, and wherever I’m playing, in my head I think I can win. I’m kind of aware that if you go to the Champions Tour, you don’t come back.
“I would like to be winning tournaments and if I’m not competing out here, I would love to — I actually think the Champions Tour, shooting 20 under par, you know, my problem on the regular tour is the length of the golf courses.
“There’s no — it’s not distance, it’s holing putts and things like that. I have seen a few guys go to the Champions Tour and they seem to have a miraculous cure for their putting.
“I’m hoping that happens to me. To shoot 20-under par for three rounds on any golf course, you’ve got to be playing well, holing putts, hitting good wedges.
“Yeah, got to work on a few of my weaknesses.”
Harrington’s won 31 tournaments in his career including three Majors and with half of his victories on the European Tour.
However, the Dubliner is yet to taste success since capturing the 2016 Portugal Masters though in recent week’s he has rekindled the form, as was evident with his T9th at the Scottish Open, in perhaps ending his winless run.
Harrington also indicated he will contest next week’s Houston Open but that could be his last regular PGA Tour this calendar year and with just one other and that be teaming with son Paddy for the 17th to 20th PNC Father and Son Challenge in Orlando, Florida.
“That’s it. Houston and PNC Father & Son. Look, I would like to play RSM, I would like to play Mayakoba, but flying back and forth, you know, I don’t have places to stay over here in the States, so it means going back home,” he said.
“If they were back-to-back, you know, I would love to be there, but I don’t think so.
“Traveling from Ireland, it’s a long way to be in a tin can at this stage, to be dealing with almost 10-hour flights or more and then connections and things.
“I’m going to have to satisfy myself with this, Houston and the Father and Son.”
