A call of nature could have cost Padraig Harrington a two-stroke penalty on the opening day of the PGA Championship in Atlanta.
Harrington was searching for a toilet while his playing partners, Tiger Woods and Davis Love 111 were making their way to the 10th tee of the Atlanta Athletic Club course.
Padraig Harrington and his caddy rushing down stairs to the 10th tee. (Photo - Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
Furnace-like conditions again greeted competitors in the year’s final dash for Major’s glory, and with the Georgia capital copping its 57th day in temperatures about 90 degrees.
Harrington finished bogey, birdie in a three over par 73 while Woods, a four-time PGA winning hero, slumped from three under par after five holes to four over through 11 before signing for a 74.
It was Woods’ worst ever starting round in the Majors and just four shots shy of his poorest ever display in shooting an 81 in windswept conditions on day three of the 2002 British Open.
Love 111, who indicated a day earlier he is striving to play his way onto the USA team he will captain next year at Medinah, shooting a two under par 68.
Harrington’s round was a mix of two birdies but also five bogeys, and after lunch the triple Major winning Irishman was planning to work on his pace putting and wedge play.
He birdied the par five, 12th or the third hole of his round, and after finding water with his second shot at the eighth, or his 17th hole, Harrington hit a wedge to 15-feet and holed the birdie putt.
“It feels better finishing bogey, birdie rather than to finish birdie and bogey,” said Harrington.
“But then the greens are probably the quickest I have ever seen greens on a Thursday morning of a Major, and I was just tense all day, and wasn’t trusting my putts, so I found it difficult.
“I could have done with holing a few birdie putts there early on the keep the momentum going but I just struggled on the greens.
“I made two of my five bogeys from wedges and that also was very sloppy.
“So I never got anything going confidence-wise or momentum-wise.”
Harrington and his caddy, like all in the field, were drinking either a bottle of ‘Gatorade’ or water a hole to combat the oppressive heat.
And despite the tendency not to ‘go’ to the toilet in the conditions, Harrington had to rush up and down the stairs of an overhead bridge and to the 10th tee as he’d had trouble locating a toilet.
“I had to go find a toilet, as I couldn’t find any toilets out there,” he smiled.
“I also had to go to the toilet three times during my round, so I don’t know what the story is out there.
“Wherever they are, they are well hidden.
“Strangely, I gained two pounds in this heat despite all the water and hydrating drinks I was taking. They have this machine in the Tour physio bus and I went in there before my practice round yesterday, and then went in afterwards and found that I had gained two pounds.
“Obviously, the toilets are out there but they are well hidden.”
And while Harrington was concentrating on his game, he had hardly any sympathy for Woods who found the water on a couple of occasions but also 13 bunkers.
His caddy, Bryon Bell probably raked more bunkers in one day than former caddy, Steve Williams raked in a decade.
Never before has a seemingly fit Woods, who admitted he was ‘angry’ with his score, just looked so venerable on a golf course, and a shell of the man who’s won 14 Majors.
Sports psychologist Bob Rotella, who works with Harrington, and who was walking the course, summed it up saying: “I don’t know what Tiger’s thinking out there.”
“Davis Love did well to shoot two under par and he certainly wasn’t helped by Tiger or myself,” said Harrington.
