January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Irish star primed for more success after Grand Slam triumph
Irish star primed for more success after Grand Slam triumph
The 41-year-old today clinched the PGA Grand Slam of Golf for the first time and believes his game is now primed for more victories.
Despite three Major wins and 14 European Tour titles (15th in the all-time list), it’s been a lean spell for Harrington. His last win came on the Asian Tour in 2010 but before that you have to go back to his PGA Championship triumph at Kiawah Island in 2008, the last of three Majors collected in a prolific two-year spell.
It’s a fact that was not lost on the Irishman, who made the most of a last-minute call-up to Bermuda following an injury to Open champion Ernie Els.
Harrington said: “I believe I’m playing really good golf. There’s good stuff in my game already and I believe there’s other stuff I need to tidy up but I see good things happening and I do believe I am turning the corner into a peak. What these peaks will be we’ll wait and see.
“You can have a beautiful 18 months and win half a dozen tournaments and no Major or win a Major and six tournaments, which would probably be better to be honest.
“You don’t know what’s going to happen in winning Majors, there not that easy to come by. It was pretty tough for me up to 1997 but by the end of 2008 it seemed pretty easy but I do realise with experience that wins don’t come around as often as you think.
“I do believe I am going into a nice period of my career. You can’t force it and I don’t think anybody can say they are going to win any particular tournament. You need some breaks.”
Ending the drought was particularly sweet for Harrington after losing in play-offs at Mid-Ocean in 2007 and 2008.
He said: “You have to come here and give yourself a chance – it’s a fantastic, enjoyable tournament.
“Even if I’d come fourth here I’d be confident I made the right decision. It’s a bonus to come and win and it was unfinished business for me having lost in two play-offs. I haven’t won in a while and winning is a habit so it’s nice to do it.”
Harrington says a proper celebration is now on the cards, and he pinpointed a number of key moments in his final round – including a run of birdies at 11, 12 and 13 - that ensured his name was finally etched on the trophy.
He said: “I got a nice run of birdies in the middle of round and for me that closed it out and that was important. The tee shots on 15 and 16 are difficult but I didn’t have to chase anything.
“The putt at eight was very big no doubt about it and the second shot into 11 were the two biggest moments, as well as the putt on 16 (from about eight foot). I was really happy to hole that putt because that’s the sort of thing I haven’t been doing recently.”
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