Player blog: Padraig Harrington

Two weeks after his comeback victory in Portugal and ahead of the Turkish Airlines Open, Padraig Harrington talks golf ball markings, Rocky, chopping wood, the New England Patriots and more.

I was telling people that good things were coming way before my win in Portugal. I could see it in my game, despite missing three cuts in a row going into the week. You just have to stay patient, keep doing the right things and it will come around. So I wasn’t surprised by winning; I don’t have to take a cold-hearted view of my game, I don’t have to be realistic or logical and I certainly don’t have to take the bookmakers view. They had me at 80-1 – I thought I was favourite! You have to create your own reality and do whatever it takes and in my head I was ready to win.

A friend texted me during the Portugal Masters and said it’s like watching Rocky play golf – when he’s down he’s at his most dangerous and he’s coming back and there is always a bit of drama, like watching a Rocky movie.

A big factor in getting back in form is my putting. I had some torrid times on the greens over the last few years. I had the yips in 2012 and then the remnants of them for a couple of years after that but in Portugal, at least with the mid-range ones, I putted as well I did when I was at my very best. And I put a lot of that down to playing with some of the younger guys. They all use a black line on their ball and then just hit the ball down that line. I’ve fought against that over the years and never really liked it but of late I realised I just wasn’t putting as well as these guys so why not try it? It took a while to get comfortable with it but it has improved my putting no end.

I crave Thursday mornings nowadays because I get a bit of a spark and I’m ready to go. I think what happens when you get a little bit older is that you might lack the enthusiasm early on but conversely there is obviously a certain level of experience when you get in the heat of battle. I’m just getting to grips with getting a bit older but I understand I’ve changed as a person. I played six holes of practice today and that was plenty. When I was younger I’d play 36 holes, at least, prior to the tournament. I still put in the practice but I’ve reduced the amount of time I spend at the golf course. I just don’t have the same buzz – I need more of a social outlet at events. A week like this is good; we’re all there back at the same hotel and there’s a nice atmosphere around the place. I need that much more.  It can’t be all about the golf, I’ve done enough of that now, so I do my practice but I don’t play as much in terms of holes. I would get tired now.

I’ve done everything with my workouts over the years and I like to chop wood during the winter. I find it very therapeutic and I like the act of doing it, while it’s still training, too. But whether it’s that, cryotherapy, vibration, occlusion, using chains, sprinting, throwing, badminton, your standard gym work, full kettlebell routines, cleans, Olympic bar stuff - it’s always a variation on the stimulus to the central nervous system. Essentially no matter how good something is, after a while your central nervous system gets used to it and you have to keep stimulating that by changing it up. The guy I use is right on top of things and we tend to be two or three years ahead of the game so far in my career.

I love the vice captain role in terms of enjoyment but it was strange being part of a losing side at Hazeltine.After being a vice captain for Paul McGinley’s winning team at Gleneagles, I got to see the great upsides – it was lovely. Whereas with Darren’s team this year it was so disappointing to lose – for all of us. Afterwards, you are privy to all the second-guessing that people do and you can’t help but think “wow”. It hurt. There’s nothing I can give to the Captain now and it’s tough. It all rests on his shoulders but we were all in it together.

I have distant cousins who played professional poker and American Football. I certainly watch the NFL, it’s the one I understand the most of all the US sports, and I follow the Patriots with the Irish connection. I’ve been to a few games and I went to the Superbowl they won two years ago, so they’re the team for me. I also follow a bit of the ice hockey in the States, one of my friends is a big hockey guy. I always played with Shawn Thornton, who plays hockey professionally, in one of the pro-ams so I’d follow what he does. At home and away from the course, though, I’ve got two kids and it’s a busy enough family so I don’t have a huge amount of time for other pursuits. I don’t take up anything, there’s nothing I’m going out there trying to find to take up my time. I tend to practice, do what I need to do with my family. I have two boys and I have a great bit of craic with them and the rest of the time is rest.

I’ve got two anniversaries of sorts coming up - The Open is at Birkdale next year and Carnoustie in 2018, so it’s two big years for me no matter what, going back to those two courses where I won The Open. Being a realist, you’d have to say it’ll be hard to repeat so I’m going to enjoy both of the venues instead of going back and trying to prove something. I’m going to go back with a simple attitude; hopefully I can play good golf but it’s not like I need to win in 2017 to prove I won in 2008, it doesn’t add or take away from it, it just is what it is.

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