Padraig Harrington.....2015 Honda Classic Champion

JohnnyLocke

http://m.golf.com/820145/why-is-this-man-smiling/?comments=on#comments

Not a bad article here. He's some man for one man.

JohnnyLocke

Looking at the trend in scores id be guessing the cut will be +1.

3 under par needed. Needs to scramble extremely well. Tight lies and tiny greens add up to very difficult scoring. Bit of a major championship feel off this event. If they made the 1st a tough par 4 it would be a very good major test.

Eaglebridie 32

JohnnyLocke wrote: »

Looking at the trend in scores id be guessing the cut will be +1.

3 under par needed. Needs to scramble extremely well. Tight lies and tiny greens add up to very difficult scoring. Bit of a major championship feel off this event. If they made the 1st a tough par 4 it would be a very good major test.

Cut almost certain to be +1. -1 for 1st 9 (back9) birdie & 8 pars, will need -2 on front 9 to make cut.

pistol_75

Eaglebridie 32 wrote: »

Cut almost certain to be +1. -1 for 1st 9 (back9) birdie & 8 pars, will need -2 on front 9 to make cut.

He got there but then bogeyed 2 of last 3 to miss out.

Dero123

Another missed cut got himself to one over but then two three putts over his last three holes led to bogeys to miss out. No birdies on par fives again.
Not sure where he appears next

JohnnyLocke

Honda Classic in two weeks.....

BoardsMember

This worrying trend continues. Putts poorly when the pressure comes on. Reinforces the concern about him ever recovering to become competitive again, but if anyone can he can

Sandwlch

BoardsMember wrote: »

but if anyone can he can

Why would you think that?

The list of comebacks from loss of putting stroke is pretty short. Is there even anyone on it ?

BoardsMember

Sandwlch wrote: »

Why would you think that?

The list of comebacks from loss of putting stroke is pretty short. Is there even anyone on it ?

Because he continues to play with a smile on his face.

bobwilliams

Sandwlch wrote: »

Why would you think that?

The list of comebacks from loss of putting stroke is pretty short. Is there even anyone on it ?

are you joking??????? only pro's know if they've 'lost' their stroke.

To say the list of players that have lost their stroke and never got it back has no names on it is laughable.

More often than not it's not the stroke it's the confidence that goes.

JohnnyLocke

Just been looking at the schedules of both tours this season. He's in an awful position at the minute because he will miss the next two WGC's before the Masters for definite, the Masters itself barring a win at the Honda, which, is evidently an impossible task right now. The Players Championship, the US Open, the final two WGC's, the Fed Ex Cup playoffs and possibly the Race to Dubai finale. I know most people knew this already but the big problem is that there actually isnt really any other tournaments in place if you miss these.

He could play a bit more on the European Tour in really low key events but a lot of these are struggling for sponsorship at the minute like the Russian Open and a few more.

I dont know what he does from here but realistically we are only going to see him play in two high profile events this year, the Open Championship and the PGA championship on previous winner exemptions. He's in the PGA championship at Wentworth aswel, the European Tour's flagship event but personally I wouldnt rank it as high profile, especially in terms of world ranking points and money.

To say he is currently in a decline is false. He's beyond a decline now as he now sits at the bottom of the trending graph. Ok, technically things could still get worse but in terms of accessibility into tournaments he is at rock bottom.

Amazingly, despite all this Padraig continues to stay VERY positive stating he is "really excited" about his game at the minute. As an obsessed fan of the man I really dont know how to digest that. I don't know about anyone else but personally I'm finding it harder and harder to sit down on the weekend and actually support someone while watching the golf on sky because the frustration of Harrington is in the back of my mind. I believe this is down to the fact that nobody even looks like taking the place of Harrington when he eventually does retire. Unfortunately for myself I dont find Rory as being anywhere near as likeable and Lowry hasnt really kicked on after his win in Portugal. I do enjoy watching Gmac but he doesnt get me off my seat if he drains a putt.

Harrington has given me unbelievable memories and the future hall of famer does not owe any of us anything but now I have to try and get rid of the emotions the great man has instilled in me. It's something I'm finding very difficult to do as the belief he has in himself might be (he WILL rise again) clouding my reality too......

saintastic

JohnnyLocke wrote: »

He could play a bit more on the European Tour in really low key events but a lot of these are struggling for sponsorship at the minute like the Russian Open and a few more.

I dont know what he does from here but realistically we are only going to see him play in two high profile events this year, the Open Championship and the PGA championship on previous winner exemptions. He's in the PGA championship at Wentworth aswel, the European Tour's flagship event but personally I wouldnt rank it as high profile, especially in terms of world ranking points and money.

Peter Uihlein is 68th in the world rankings and Brooks Koepka is 69th. They made these world rankings through the Challenge Tour and the European Tour. The options open to Harrington at the moment have to be greater than the options that were open to Uihlein and Koepka when they started off.

Therefore, if he can start playing well enough, he will naturally climb the world rankings regardless of his presence in the WGCs and the US Majors.

josie19

saintastic wrote: »

Peter Uihlein is 68th in the world rankings and Brooks Koepka is 69th. They made these world rankings through the Challenge Tour and the European Tour. The options open to Harrington at the moment have to be greater than the options that were open to Uihlein and Koepka when they started off.

Therefore, if he can start playing well enough, he will naturally climb the world rankings regardless of his presence in the WGCs and the US Majors.

Peter Uihlein and Brooks Koepka are playing significantly better golf than Harrington is at present.

The "if" above is a very big "if"

deko43

Sandwlch wrote: »

Why would you think that?

The list of comebacks from loss of putting stroke is pretty short. Is there even anyone on it ?

Eh , a certain Mr Langer comes to mind.

charlieIRL

deko43 wrote: »

Eh , a certain Mr Langer comes to mind.

what's he going to be like when they go back to short putters though? See a few have already started using them again, PH is one.

BigChap1759

Exactly, it was only by switching to the broomhandle that Langer became competitive again - had the yips big time. Will be interesting to see how some of these guys do in 2016.

Russman

I think a lot of the guys (obviously not all of them) using the long putter though are using it because its better rather than having the yips. It shouldn't be too much of a big deal for them to revert IMO.

abff

JohnnyLocke wrote: »

Just been looking at the schedules of both tours this season. He's in an awful position at the minute because he will miss the next two WGC's before the Masters for definite, the Masters itself barring a win at the Honda, which, is evidently an impossible task right now. The Players Championship, the US Open, the final two WGC's, the Fed Ex Cup playoffs and possibly the Race to Dubai finale. I know most people knew this already but the big problem is that there actually isnt really any other tournaments in place if you miss these.

He could play a bit more on the European Tour in really low key events but a lot of these are struggling for sponsorship at the minute like the Russian Open and a few more.

I dont know what he does from here but realistically we are only going to see him play in two high profile events this year, the Open Championship and the PGA championship on previous winner exemptions. He's in the PGA championship at Wentworth aswel, the European Tour's flagship event but personally I wouldnt rank it as high profile, especially in terms of world ranking points and money.

To say he is currently in a decline is false. He's beyond a decline now as he now sits at the bottom of the trending graph. Ok, technically things could still get worse but in terms of accessibility into tournaments he is at rock bottom.

Amazingly, despite all this Padraig continues to stay VERY positive stating he is "really excited" about his game at the minute. As an obsessed fan of the man I really dont know how to digest that. I don't know about anyone else but personally I'm finding it harder and harder to sit down on the weekend and actually support someone while watching the golf on sky because the frustration of Harrington is in the back of my mind. I believe this is down to the fact that nobody even looks like taking the place of Harrington when he eventually does retire. Unfortunately for myself I dont find Rory as being anywhere near as likeable and Lowry hasnt really kicked on after his win in Portugal. I do enjoy watching Gmac but he doesnt get me off my seat if he drains a putt.

Harrington has given me unbelievable memories and the future hall of famer does not owe any of us anything but now I have to try and get rid of the emotions the great man has instilled in me. It's something I'm finding very difficult to do as the belief he has in himself might be (he WILL rise again) clouding my reality too......

Very good post and pretty much on the mark. The only thing I would dispute is your comment about the PGA at Wentworth, which is worth 64 OWGR points as the European Tour's flagship event. A win in that would give a huge boost to Padraig's world ranking.

josie19

abff wrote: »

Very good post and pretty much on the mark. The only thing I would dispute is your comment about the PGA at Wentworth, which is worth 64 OWGR points as the European Tour's flagship event. A win in that would give a huge boost to Padraig's world ranking.

World ranking points or not I don't think Padraig likes Wentworth too much - particularly the greens. I think the European tour frowned on his many absences from their flagship event throughout the noughties.

mickmackey1

JohnnyLocke wrote: »

realistically we are only going to see him play in two high profile events this year, the Open Championship and the PGA championship on previous winner exemptions.

Not the PGA, unless he gets a 6-year exemption :cool:

SnowDrifts

mickmackey1 wrote: »

Not the PGA, unless he gets a 6-year exemption :cool:

He won the PGA so lifetime exemption.

abff

josie19 wrote: »

World ranking points or not I don't think Padraig likes Wentworth too much - particularly the greens. I think the European tour frowned on his many absences from their flagship event throughout the noughties.

I agree. He's always complaining about the Wentworth greens at that time of the year, although he seems happy enough with them later in the year when the matchplay is on (not that he has played in that too often). But he did manage to finish tied 6th in 2010, so I guess it could be an opportunity to pick up some much needed world ranking points.

mickmackey1

SnowDrifts wrote: »

He won the PGA so lifetime exemption.

oops thought that was only the masters...:o should be changed to only 5 years though.

JohnnyLocke

He has just entered the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook, Copperhead on March 13

JohnnyLocke

I believe he has also entered the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. He hasn't played here in a while. Kind of surprised these torunaments are available to him.

JohnnyLocke

He is also in the Valero Texas Open and Shell Houston Open.

That's four weeks in a row before the Masters. He's obviously pushing extremely hard to try and qualify :O:O:O:O

FixdePitchmark

[QUOTEArnold nyLocke;89078071]I believe he has also entered the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. He hasn't played here in a while. Kind of surprised these torunaments are available to him.[/QUOTE]

Hello Arnold - Padraig here. Any chance of a game at weekend.

Absolutely delighted to have you play, not to mention we don't have too many players with 3 majors in field.

JohnnyLocke

[/QUOTE]Hello Arnold - Padraig here. Any chance of a game at weekend.

Absolutely delighted to have you play, not to mention we don't have too many players with 3 majors in field.[/QUOTE]

Haha fair enough. I overlooked the fact that it is an actual Invitiational rather than qualifying criteria. Great news though. Its a fantastic course

AGC

Saw an article this morning saying Padraig had an operation to treat skin cancer. Maybe the yips are the least of his worries

m r c

AGC wrote: »

Saw an article this morning saying Padraig had an operation to treat skin cancer. Maybe the yips are the least of his worries

Best case I hope that's BS and hopefully worst case it was only precaution.

You are right though, that stuff would put the yips into perspective.