Padraig Harrington cannot wait to take in the spectacle of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but he has the small matter of his own quest for a Gold Medal to take care of first.
The three-time Major Championship winner notched his best Major finish in more than four years at the 98th PGA Championship, finishing with rounds of 65 and 68 to tie for 13th. He will now head to Rio and tee it up for Ireland on August 11 alongside team-mate Seamus Power after the duo secured the 42nd and 51st places in the 60-man field as golf returns to the Olympics for the first time in 112 years.
The men's Gold will be decided on August 14, a week before the conclusion of sport's greatest festival, and while Harrington will be "all business" out on the course, he and his family will then be staying in Rio to take in the action.
"I'm going to head down on the Sunday night, get down there and hopefully - don't know if I'll play a practice round Monday and then Tuesday onwards - get into it," he said.
"The whole family are going. There are six of us going down there so it's a big week. I'm staying for the extra week.
"I think so much of the Olympics, I'm going to take a week's holiday and go to a number of events. It's an opportunity of a lifetime to really have a great week's holiday the second week.
The first week will be all business but hopefully the second week we'll have a good week - Padraig Harrington
"Table tennis, gymnastics, diving, velodrome (cycling), boxing, I'm sure I'm missing out on one or two. This is all the second week. So I'm trying to do two things a day the second week.
"It's really great fun watching all those sports. The Olympics more so, because whenever you're watching a sport when it means everything to them. The pain of losing is exceptional. The joy of winning, it's right there on the line.
"I'd watch anything in those circumstances and obviously the Olympics is the pinnacle of it all being on the line, you get one chance and that's it."
Power claimed his first win on the Web.com Tour in May and Harrington is happy to give the 29 year old advice in Brazil, although that will not get in the way of his competitive edge.
"I know what he's done and I intend to give him a ring just to say hello before we get there," he said.
"I'd be hoping that the two of us have a chance coming down the last nine holes and at that stage, it's all for yourself, but up until that point (I'll give him advice).
"I'd be delighted if the two of us are five shots clear of the field on Sunday."
