Much has happened to Padraig Harrington in the 12 years since he recorded back-to-back top ten finishes in the Irish Open at Fota Island Resort, and the three-time Major Champion is determined to enjoy his return to the Cork venue this week.
Harrington, who will play alongside Rory McIlroy and Stephen Gallacher in the opening two rounds, finished tied second and tied sixth in 2001 and 2002 respectively, having previously won an Irish Amateur Open at Fota Island Resort in 1995.
The 43 year old memorably added his national Open title in the professional ranks in 2007 and went on to win three Major Championships in the following 18 months, heralding a glorious period in Irish golfing history. He now returns to Fota Island looking to provide yet another chapter in a remarkable career, at a venue where he admits he has many happy memories.
“It's obviously been a happy hunting ground for me over the years,” said Harrington. “I do like the venue. I like the atmosphere the venue gives off. It's an ideal place for professional golf when you have got a hotel on site, and you have got a beautiful golf course, and you've got a fantastic setting and good practice facilities. There's not much more the players could ask for than you've got here.”
Harrington concedes that having an Irish Open title already under his belt takes some of the pressure off his shoulder this week, and enables him to enjoy the unique focus that naturally falls on him and the other Irish players.
“I'm not under as much pressure as the other lads who haven't got one,” he said. ”It is important to win your National Open at some stage in your career. It's something you want to tick off for your CV. Obviously Shane (Lowry) has one, so there's two of us with it.
“Early in my career, it was pressure, and a lot of expectation. Then you realise that it's not necessarily expectation. It's more just people who want you to win, and they would like to you win, and they are not trying to put more pressure on you.
“When you look it like that, it kind of deflects it a little bit and you can relax a little bit more. There's no doubt at an Irish Open for an Irish player, there's more stress around the week. There's more things to be done. There's more people to say hello to, and you've got to stop and say hello to everybody. It just mounts up in the course of a week.
“So it's one of those events that you just know you're not going to be able to go through your normal routine, and you know things are going to be just slightly out of kilter once you accept that, it's easier to get on with things.”
Having won two Claret Jugs so far in his career, Harrington also welcomed The R&A’s announcement on Monday that Royal Portrush has been added to the rota of Open Championship venues.
“I'm sure when it does come, it will be one of the greatest Opens ever,” he said. “The people that will turn out and the atmosphere will be second to none. Only St. Andrews maybe could surpass it, because it's the Home of Golf, but I think the raw atmosphere around an event like The Open Championship at Portrush will be unbelievable. Just phenomenal. It would be rare if the players will experience what they will experience when The Open is at Portrush.”
