Triple Major winning Padraig Harrington has expressed ‘massive sympathy’ current World No. 1 Rory McIlroy should be facing the dilemma of what country he should represent in 2016 Olympic Games.
McIlroy has hinted that given the continuing controversy on whether to represent Ireland or Team Great Britain of even stepping down from travelling to Rio de Janeiro when golf returns to the Olympics in three years time.
Harrington along with LGPA stars Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie helped in the combined R & A and USGA joint submission to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that resulted in golf returning to the Olympics for a first time since 1924.
However Harrington, who is contesting this week’s Volvo Champions event in Durban, never expected any golfer to now be facing the dilemma staring at McIlroy.
Padraig Harrington expresses ‘massive sympathy’ for Rory McIlroy over his Olympic Games dilemma, (Photo – Volvo Golf Champions)
“I have massive sympathy for Rory as a fellow Irishman and massive sympathy more so as a sportsman,” said Harrington.
“No sportsman should have to make that decision and no one at 23 years of age should have to make that decision.
“The reality is that there have been people involved in politics the last 100 years who have tried to negotiate that and why would you ask a 23-year old that just because he’s good a hitting a little white golf ball.
“It’s just very unfortunate in the sense that it’s a big deal as golf needs Rory to play as golf is only on trial at the next two Olympics, so the golfers need to perform and put our best foot forward, so it would be nice if the World No. 1 is there and supporting the events.
“So Rory’s in an extraordinary difficult position and I would hate to be in it myself, and unselfishly I would say he’s made the right decision but selfishly for the game of golf, golfers need him to play just to show that golf is serious about getting back into the Olympics.”
And Harrington admits it would be wrong, as many have suggested, if the IOC were to now get involved in forcing McIlroy’s hand.
“It would be nice if the Olympic Council would just clear up the matter and say, here we go, you can play in the Olympics, or make the decision on their behalf,” added Harrington.
“But then again, it’s only one sport and they have issues in many sports and they can’t just jump in and start making decisions. There’s going to be no winner out of this one, whatever.”
Harrington arrived in coastal Durban earlier in the week looking distinctly chubby in the face and also purposely sporting a good few extra pounds in an effort to get more power into his game.
His appearance in Durban also has rekindled memories of his first ever European Tour event on this week’s host Durban Country Club course 17 years ago in the 1996 FNB Championship.
The then 24-year old had been in Nairobi competing in a Challenge Tour event when he got word three players had withdrawn from the following week’s main tour event in Durban.
However upon arrival in South Africa’s third largest city Harrington learnt his new set of irons were four degrees too upright while he then suffered a severe bout of dehydration after a 10-hour practice session on the eve of the event.
But then any disappointment was forgotten when four days later Harrington learnt he had won a cheque for £(STG) 1,480 in finishind in a share of 49th place.
“I rang my mother at home and said, “Mum, I’ve just finished 49th, and I won, 1,480 pounds, and I couldn’t have played worse. They are just giving it away”, Harrington laughed.
“I won 1,480 pounds; it was a fortune! Obviously as an amateur, the most I had ever won was Euro 300 but 1480 Pounds Sterling, it was a fortune at the time.”
Harrington has since bank more than Euro 23m in European Tour winnings alone and can add further Euro 350,000 with victory this week along the Indian Ocean shoreline.
