By Kevin Murphy
Three time major winner Padraig Harrington is relishing the challenges of this week’s British Open at St Andrews.
Harrington won the famed Claret Jug twice and also won a PGA title during a sensational 14 month spell in 2007 and 2008.
The hugely popular Dubliner still carries a real competitive spirit and has twice won the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.
Speaking in the Irish Examiner today Harrington revealed he still enjoys golf, although he acknowledges that he has to play a different type of game now.
“In another sport, after 19 years of a career you’d be allowed to retire gracefully. People would just say ‘ah, he lost a yard of pace’.
“How many times have you heard that to describe a (footballer) who’s allowed retire, go out to the States or something like that. Unfortunately with golf you don’t get that excuse.
“I still love playing golf. I have to figure something. I can’t play the same way I played seven or eight years ago; I’m a different person,” he explained.
“When it comes to golf, I’d be much more cynical than I was a kid, wandering around thinking I was going to find all the answers.”
Harrington got back to winning ways in the Honda Classic earlier in the year which gave him a great boost in confidence.
Remarkably, this will be his 19th time competing at the event and he would be a hugely popular winner at the home of golf.