Padraig Harrington.....2015 Honda Classic Champion

supernova84

He needs a win badly

GreeBo

supernova84 wrote: »

He needs a win badly

true, but I still think he might get a pick if he can keep the current form, random doubles are perfect for matchplay!:D

Martin567

He's going to need something very big in the next month to have any hope of a pick. Although his form is much improved, I think it's likely he won't make this Ryder Cup.

Based on the last two Cups, Ian Poulter is probably a fairly certain pick. I could see Olazabal going with someone like Colsaerts for his other pick. He's close to the biggest hitter in Europe (him or Quiros) and the European version of either Bubba Watson or Dustin Johnson. He could certainly be good in fourballs.

Sergio Garcia is currently clinging onto the last qualification spot. If anyone has a big month and jumps into a qualifying spot, Sergio looks the most likely to miss out. With a Spanish captain, he could then get a wild card. Martin Kaymer is also struggling for form at the moment and could still miss out. On form the Americans would have to be favourites right now but that could change in two months.

Trampas

the current team set up doesn't need an experience player of PH. If anything it is a great chance to bring in some rookies. Someone like Colsaerts and Cabrera - Bello

I should add this I feel is for every senior player and not just PH

ssbob

At this stage he is not going to get in based on the European Points list so his only hope is the world points list, based on the current world points, he would need to pick up 60 pts(as of now) to get into last position so I reckon he will need closer to 80/90 pts to get into a Ryder cup selection. This is only achieveable with a Top 5 finish at the US PGA along with continuing his current run of form and possibly a win, the Reno Tahoe open might be the win he is looking for.

I do feel however if Harrington is just outside automatic qualification, JMO would find it very hard to leave him out.

PRAF

As a Paddy fan, I'd prefer a win before the end of the year for a spot on the Ryder Cup team. I think his goal should be to keep playing consistently, keep looking for the win, and get himself back safely inside the Top-50 well before the end of the year (ideally make it into the WGC event in late Oct / early Nov).

He's an outside bet for a spot on the ryder team, if he doesn't automatically qualify, I can't see him being offerred a pick.

RikkFlair

I still think theres another ryder cup or 2 in Harrington, but he may have left it too late for this one with his turnaround in form. He'll need to win and/or a string of top 5 or 10s.

Hoping he'll go well at the USPGA at Kiawah, he won the World Cup with McGinley there so it may be a good omen.

BoardsMember

I'm a big PH fan, but his problem is with putting....you cant be putting badly and expect a pick on the Ryder Cup team. The ryder Cup is all about who drops the putts.

ssbob

PRAF wrote: »

As a Paddy fan, I'd prefer a win before the end of the year for a spot on the Ryder Cup team. I think his goal should be to keep playing consistently, keep looking for the win, and get himself back safely inside the Top-50 well before the end of the year (ideally make it into the WGC event in late Oct / early Nov).

To get into the WGC, he needs a win or be in the Top-25 or else be within the top 5 available players not already exempt on the USPGA or European Tour.

He needs a win so doesn't he..................#comeonpaddy

newport2

Paddy's last hole yesterday

18th Hole
Par 5 616 yards

1. 403yds to Right Fairway, 219yds to hole :eek::eek::eek:
2. 222yds to Green, 6ft 7in to hole :cool:
3. in the hole

ssbob

newport2 wrote: »

Paddy's last hole yesterday

18th Hole
Par 5 616 yards

1. 403yds to Right Fairway, 219yds to hole :eek::eek::eek:
2. 222yds to Green, 6ft 7in to hole :cool:
3. in the hole

Crazy stuff, he needed that eagle though!!! hopefully he presses on, it really would be a bad result in an average field if he doesn't get a top ten at least here!

tang1

Whats his schedule after this week, he playing Gleneagles?

ssbob

tang1 wrote: »

Whats his schedule after this week, he playing Gleneagles?

PGA next week for definite but can't imagine he will play Gleneagles, maybe though if he is close to a spot on the team!

tang1

ssbob wrote: »

PGA next week for definite but can't imagine he will play Gleneagles, maybe though if he is close to a spot on the team!

Dont think he'll make Ryder Cup automatically, hope i'm wrong. He'll need to win PGA next week to do it wont he?? Also dont think Ollie will pick him if it comes down to that. I'm a big Harrington fan and hope he pulls it out of the bag in next few weeks.

madds

The PGA website reports that his Putts per GIR % for the first round was 1.727 (53rd) which is just too high if you want to contend. Let's hope he can bring that % down today and continue that trend over the weekend.

doomed

He'll have to qualify on merit which is a tall order. He can't hope to get wild cards two years in a row unless he gets really close to the automatic list and is next in line.

abff

Playing well tonight, but just 3 putted the 13th for a par 5. Probably too far behind to win, but a couple of long putts might change that.

Seves Three Iron

Out to 63rd in the WR after the weekend. Pressure is off to an extent going into the USPGA which will suit him but honestly don't think his putting is good enough to win a tournament like that at the moment. He's still propping up the inside five feet and 3-5 foot range putting stats. Hope I'm wrong.

abff

Yes, it's the putting that's holding him back.

But we know he used to be a great putter, so if he can get the putting sorted, who knows? Fingers crossed!

PRAF

abff wrote: »

Yes, it's the putting that's holding him back.

But we know he used to be a great putter, so if he can get the putting sorted, who knows? Fingers crossed!

Hate to bring up the old caddy debate again, but would he not be better with his caddy challenging him / giving firm direction when it comes to putting?

PH often complains about not being able to trust his lines and not fully committing to his lines. Maybe he needs someone to take charge in situations like this.

We're just waiting for a week when he gets hot with the putter because his tee to green game is probably the best its been in years

newport2

PRAF wrote: »

We're just waiting for a week when he gets hot with the putter because his tee to green game is probably the best its been in years

But like the rest of us, when he goes on a hot streak with his putter, his long game will probably desert him!

PRAF

newport2 wrote: »

But like the rest of us, when he goes on a hot streak with his putter, his long game will probably desert him!

Tell me about it, story of my golf this year!!

Seves Three Iron

Interesting to see how Harri will fare going back to Kiawah. Some gas stories about his World Cup win there in '97. John O'Reilly was his caddie at the time. From reading his book, O'Reilly seemed a right chancer. Loved his pints and smokes and got up to all sorts.

Anyhow, he somehow convinced the authorities at Kiawah to give him a courtesy car for the whole tournament. He told them he was the Irish team 'coach'. It was an off duty copper driving him around. When they got back, Harri and McGinley were given a civic reception in Dublin. At the end of the ceremony they made a special presentation of a piece of crystal to the Irish 'coach', O'Reilly!

Seemed like a gas man. Unfortunately, he died in 2008. Caddied for Peter Townsend and Des Smyth for a good while before Harri.

Deplasterer

Pod might just surprise a few this week.

Adiaga 2

Padraig had this to say about playing last week: “There were a lot of negatives to playing last week in terms of altitude,” he said.

“It was one of the more tiring weeks I’ve ever had on tour, so hot, so dry and so hilly a golf course, so was really was a tough physical week and, obviously, you’ve got your three hour jet lag coming back."

Is this his way of taking more pressure off himself or did he really not factor in the altitude and likely conditions when he entered to play here the week before a major? Last 2 results haven't been great after his US Open and decent showings in Portrush and Scotland. Hopefully the sea air and memories of the WC win will help him get back up there in contention this week.

tang1

He needs good result here or its bye bye Ryder Cup.

Adiaga 2

PH's Ryder Cup chances are pretty much spelled out here by Olazabal. Qualify or watch it on Sky seems to be the jist.
By Simon Evans | ReutersKIAWAH ISLAND, South Carolina (Reuters) - European captain Jose Maria Olazabal faces the tricky task of selecting two players for his Ryder Cup team and if his words on Wednesday were any clue, Ireland's Padraig Harrington may not be among them.

Three-times major winner Harrington is 19th in the European world points list and would need an outstanding result - such as a win in this week's PGA Championship - to automatically qualify for next month's Cup clash with the United States.

"He has to do really extraordinary well. He's well down the list," said Olazabal, who will announce his captain's picks after the Johnnie Walker Championship finishes at Gleneagles on August 27.

"I've played with him a couple of times during this year. From tee to green, his game has been fairly good, but I think his putting has let him down this year so far," added the Spaniard.

Irishman Harrington has struggled at many tournaments this year, although he proved he can still compete at the highest level with a tie for eighth at the Masters and joint fourth at the U.S. Open.

The 40-year-old Dubliner has appeared in the last six Ryder Cups and been on four winning teams, including in 2010 when he was a captain's pick by Colin Montgomerie.

"There are three weeks left. If he really does extraordinarily well, he can have a great chance of making the team still, but it's going to be up to him," said Olazabal.

Olazabal's compatriot Sergio Garcia is another experienced Ryder Cup hand whose qualification is not yet secure -- he holds the 10th and final automatic spot at the moment but faces threats from players such as Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium and Britain's Ian Poulter.

UPBEAT WORDS

But the words Olazabal chose for Garcia, who has also featured in the last six Cups, were far more upbeat than those reserved for Harrington.

"You've seen him play a Ryder Cup," Olazabal said of Garcia. "He's a great team player. His spirit is always really good. And in that regard, I think he's a great asset to the team. He has obviously the experience, the knowledge.

"He wants to be part of it. It's true that at the moment, his game is a little bit off. Pairing‑wise, he's proved the last few Ryder Cups he can play with anybody, and he's done well. And I think that's very important.

"If you are looking at the players to be on your team, Sergio would certainly be one of them for sure."

Englishman Poulter could also take encouragement from his Olazabal's comments at Wednesday's press conference.

"He's really close," the European captain said. "We all know how great of a match player he is. He did extraordinarily well the last two Ryder Cups at Valhalla and Celtic Manor.

"Obviously he's one of the players that I am keeping an eye on, see how he does the next three weeks. He's not all that far away. Of the guys that are at the moment not on the team, he's one of the guys that has the best chance of making that team."

U.S. captain Davis Love III has four picks available to him with only eight players qualifying automatically while Olazabal's pair of picks is down on the three that Montgomerie had available two years ago for Celtic Manor.

The Spaniard said it would be a difficult job explaining his decisions to those left out.

"You might have to make a few phone calls or you might have to approach two or three players and tell them face‑to‑face and say, 'Listen, you tried hard but you're not going to make the team'.

"I've always said that is going to be one of the toughest moments of the captaincy without a doubt. But that's the way things are. I'm not going to change that," said Olazabal.(Reporting By Simon Evans; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

..

Trampas

I think PH can say bye bye to the Ryder Cup unless he pulls one out of the bag.

PRAF

Watched the tail end of his round today, hit some nice shots (particularly the irons to the 17th and 18th greens). However, needs to start hitting the putts with more conviction. Missed a 5 footer for bird at 16 and two 15 footers at 17 and 18. All of them struck a little too tentatively. C'mon Paddy give it a rattle tomorrow!

ssbob

PRAF wrote: »

Watched the tail end of his round today, hit some nice shots (particularly the irons to the 17th and 18th greens). However, needs to start hitting the putts with more conviction. Missed a 5 footer for bird at 16 and two 15 footers at 17 and 18. All of them struck a little too tentatively. C'mon Paddy give it a rattle tomorrow!

Unusual for him, early in the round Sky sports commentators were saying he was struggling to keep it going, I thought he was really unlucky tbh, i remember him shaving the hole on 4/5 occassions(especially the Par 3 5th) outside of those tentative putts on 16/17/18. He is playing well and right in the mix.

What a performance from Phil?!?!?