From equipment to etiquette, there’s nothing that Pádraig Harrington isn’t too happy to discuss when it comes to golf.
At this week’s Qatar Masters, he will become the 50th player to reach 500 starts on the DP World Tour and the landmark brings into sharp focus his achievements over the four decades his career has spanned so far.
Over the course of two remarkable seasons, he won the 2007 Open Championship, followed by a successful title defence at The Open and US PGA Championship in 2008. At the time, only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were higher ranked in the world.
Aside from his Major triumphs, he has added 15 further titles across the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR, finished as Europe’s Number One with the Harry Vardon Trophy in 2006, and contributed to four Ryder Cup‑winning teams before later captaining Europe in golf’s pre‑eminent team event.
“I couldn't have ever dreamt of the career that I've had," said Harrington on the eve of becoming the latest member of the DP World Tour's 500 club.
He didn’t turn professional until the age of 24, late by today’s standards, joining the paid ranks in 1995.
Now, at 54, he remains as driven as ever, still competing with the best players around the world.
READ MORE:
• Pádraig Harrington's 500 DP World Tour events | The numbers
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While the seniors circuit has taken up much of his focus in recent years, successfuly too with three Senior Major Championship titles to his name, his commitment to keep testing himself and believing in his chances of landing further silverware on the DP World Tour is emphasised with this being his fourth consecutive start in as many weeks during the ongoing International Swing.
“It’s not something that you envisage, plan for, but it’s nice to get [to 500]," he added.
"I've probably played close to 800 tournaments in my career, 30 years as a pro.
"I'm thinking I might have another 300 tournaments in me before I finish up.
"Maybe not 300 on the DP World Tour! At some stage that's coming to an end, but at the moment I'm happy to be here, out here playing and enjoying it."
Throughout everything, Harrington's persistent drive to improve has never wavered.
"I'm quite an optimist," he said. "So, if something goes wrong, the minute I get back on the horse the next day and start practising, I'm looking forward, I'm dreaming of what it can be, the potential.
"That's what I love about golf. It always gives you that hope value that you're going to find the secret. And today, I'm still trying to find the secret.
"Sometimes I get a bit caught up in that, and as my caddy (Ronan Flood) often says to me, I've earned the right to be there," he added.
Fear has played its part but Harrington has always used that feeling as a source of motivation rather than a hindrance.
Reflecting on himself while also comparing the latest generation of talent, he said: "I always felt I had potential to get better. Whereas I think sometimes you see with the young guys that come out here they've got really good golf swings, great ball striking, and if you've got a great swing and you're a great ball striker and you don't win, it's pretty harsh on you mentally.
"Whereas if I didn't win as a young kid, I was like, well, I can get better, I can get better, I'm improving. I think those two things really helped me."
Among his other notable feats, Harrington spent over 300 weeks in the top ten from 2001 to 2010.
Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in June 2024, he attributes much of that consistency to the grounding the DP World Tour gave him through to the turn of the 21st century.
Learning from and competing against some of the greats on an international stage are memories Harrington cherishes.
"It's been a great run. Particularly in the 90s, the top ten in the world were playing in Europe," he said.
"I got to play with the best players at that stage. Monty [Colin Montgomerie] was unbelievable, Ernie [Els] was playing, Retief Goosen. These are guys that I would have put up on a pedestel. Lee Westwood was the best ball striker in the world in '99.
"I just about crossed over with [Bernhard] Langer, didn't really play much with [Sir Nick] Faldo, played with Woosie [Ian Woosnam], he was a super ball striker, just a phenomenal swing. I missed out on the very best of the Sandy Lyles, played with Seve [Ballesteros] but not at his best, but the DP World Tour was unbelievable. After 2000, it just became so much easier to get your card in the states that a lot of peiple drifted away and financially [the PGA TOUR] became much bigger."
In recent years, Harrington has reached new fans through his YouTube channel, where he posts regular instructional insights, titled "Paddy's Golf Tips".
While he is widely regarded as one of the game’s hardest workers, he says that age has taught him new ways to sustain his drive. Above all, a genuine love of the sport remains at the heart of it.
“I’m here now trying to be competitive, but knowing that the only way I can be competitive is actually to enjoy my tournaments and events," he said.
"So, I make much more of an effort to enjoy my life on tour than I did when I was a young man. I can't keep up the pace that I had as a young man. Like I was, 70-80 hour weeks of golf, practice every week.
"You just can't do that [now]. You burn out and I did burn out and I find a different way now.
"So, I just make much more effort to enjoy my life out here. I suppose in some ways that's the reaping the rewards of my past play.
"With that, when you enjoy it, sometimes you do play very nicely and play well. So, that's a different way of getting the job done.
"I'm fascinated with it, I enjoy it, I love coaching, I love thinking about it, you know. I think 20 years ago there was an element of anybody who played golf pretended that we weren't golf nerds. I'm as big as golfing nerd you can get. I just like golf, everything about it."
Harrington is making a long-awaited return to the Qatar Masters, having last played at Doha Golf Club in 2003.
While much might have changed in that time, his respect for the course has only grown now that he is back.
"It's nice to come back to a golf course after a long time and see the difference," he said.
"What a great golf course it is. Every hole has a new back tee since 2003, yet the golf course is probably playing a little shorter than it was back then but it is in phenomenal condition.
"It really is nice to come back as it has matured, seeing the benefits of that time. So, it's a joy to be back."
