Harrington Injury Hurts Open Defense

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Irish Voice Sport

Harrington Injury Hurts Open Defense

July 16, 2008

By Cathal Dervan

PADRAIG Harrington is walking an injury tightrope ahead of his defense of the British Open title at Royal Birkdale this week -– and has freely admitted he would already be out of the tournament if it was any other event.

The 2007 champion damaged his right wrist on Saturday night when he spent two hours practicing on his arrival home from winning the Irish PGA championship at the European Club in Wicklow.

Harrington hit balls for over 90 minutes on his private driving range, then moved to an indoor practice facility to work with his driver on an impact ball, designed to take the full force of his power off the tee.

That’s when he picked up the injury that has thrown a whole new color on Harrington’s defense of golf’s richest prize.

“If it wasn’t the Open I would have pulled out. I would have come for treatment and then decided I could not risk it,” Harrington admitted after his Tuesday practice round was curtailed to just nine holes of play, none of it from the rough on Merseyside.

“Because it’s Open week I will definitely make the effort. I know I will not get through 72 holes this week without going in the rough, and the biggest worry is if I do something that will flare it up and give me a problem. That will certainly be an issue.”

Well known Australian sports chiropractor Dale Richardson is working with Harrington to ease his recovery from the injury, but the Dubliner is adamant his Saturday night routine was normal.

“I’ve done it for years and never had a problem before,” stated Harrington on Tuesday afternoon. “But I felt something and on Sunday I couldn’t lift a club even to chip. It was a serious concern then because I couldn’t go and test it. I couldn’t see if it was better or worse.

“I got hold of Dale at Loch Lomond, met up with him here and it has responded well to treatment. But playing those nine holes has weakened it as expected.

“I’m taking anti-inflammatories as it is and I will probably protect the wrist in the tournament. But I didn’t today because I wanted to see how it was. I’m happier than I was this morning. It’s inflamed, but I was pain-free for those nine holes.

“When I went to the range I had no idea what was ahead and that was more nerve-wracking. On the course I was fearful and very worried at first, but it was fine, although I had a fuzzy, tingly feeling and I felt it pushing a tee in the ground a couple of times.

“This is a brand new injury — I’ve never had anything like this before. Know the best thing about a wrist injury? It makes you forget about having a neck injury as I’ve had for the past two weeks.

“This is a new injury and a new concern, but really the only issue would be if I re-injured it in the rough and that’s what is a little bit scary. I’m going for physio now and then out to see if I can hit shots.

“It’s not the end of the world. It’s a good straightforward course. It would not be the worst course in the world to just have one practice round.

“Mentally I’m quite positive, just a bit worried about it being weak and flaring up where I can’t continue to play. I think I will be teeing it up with strapping on it, but who knows.”

Harrington never expected the build up to his title defense to be dominated by injury updates but he is still relishing the chance to take on the world’s best again.

And he wants the Claret Jug back after returning it to the Royal and Ancient on Tuesday morning at Royal Birkdale, a scene links just outside Liverpool.

“I pointed out that it could do with a smaller box so you could travel with it better on planes because the current one is too big,” joked Harrington.

“Hopefully when I get it back on Sunday night it’ll be in a little tighter box so I can bring it with me everywhere.”

Injury aside, Harrington is excited at the prospect of defending his crown and picked up a few little tips when he played alongside Angel Cabrera as he defended, unsuccessfully, at last month’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

Cabrera missed the cut and Harrington said, “I felt he was trying harder in some ways. You could see how much more it meant to him that week.

“I was watching it and saying you’ve got to do those things, but it has no reflection on the fact that he won it the year before. I know it’s great to turn around and say you finished top 10 the following year — it’s a good defense — but I believe that you have to try and separate the two in order to have a good week.

“You have to go there with a clean slate and play the 2008 Open at Birkdale for the sake of that event. I’m not denying that it wouldn’t mean more to me at the Open this year, but I do have to make the effort to make it feel just like a regular event.

“There will be extra things around it, there’s no question. There is more of a sideshow going back to defend any tournament and you are a bit more in the spotlight, but you’ve got to downplay it a little bit.

“It doesn’t matter what I do in my defense - I still am the 2007 Open champion. I’m not going there to prove anything.

“My performance this year has no reflection on my performance of 2007 and I’ve got to create that atmosphere for myself. There’s no point in me going in trying to burden myself with the expectations.”

Harrington will begin his title defense at Royal Birkdale alongside two fellow major winners, 1997 Open winner Justin Leonard and twice U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen at 7:58 a.m. local time on Thursday morning.

Meath’s Damien McGrane heads out even earlier in the fourth group at 7:03 a.m., accompanied by American Jerry Kelly and Darren Fichardt of South Africa, while Philip Walton is out at 11:52 a.m. with David Smail of New Zealand and American Michael Letzig.

Portrush’s Graeme McDowell, winner of the Scottish Open last Sunday, partners 2004 winner Todd Hamilton and South African Rory Sabbatini at 12:36 p.m.

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