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TARGET WORLD CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY WILLIAMS

December 10, 2005

Padraig Harrington

THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Thank you, Padraig, for joining us for a few minutes. Nice solid round out there and great position going into Sunday. Talk about the day a little bit.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It was obviously erratic the first day, not very happy with the swing. Played a little bit better the second day. But I was a bit erratic today, not 100 percent confident with what I was doing. I started got a few breaks, started making a few birdies on the back nine and just kept going and really tried not to think too much about it.

Q. Who's in the last group tomorrow?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Not me. Michael and Darren. It's the guy that holes the putt first.

Q. So he holed it first?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yep, so he was the first 13 under in.

Q. How close did you hit it on 18?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: We both hit it about 12 feet.

Q. He was away?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: He was away. Actually he was on the fringe of the green. It actually would have been very close. He went first because he was off the green. If we were both on the green, we probably would have had to look at it.

Q. You said yesterday you like coming here because of Tiger and because of the charities that it helps. Because you won here, does that give you a lot of confidence coming back and playing?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Obviously the golf course suits me. There's something about it, something out there that suits me. You know, I've obviously performed very well on it. I have a good track record. Maybe it's the last event of the year. I don't know, it's a tricky enough golf course, and I do tend to play those sort of courses well if I can stay patient because there is a lot of birdies and eagles to be made out there, but there's also some bogeys and double bogeys. It can be quite a frustrating golf course. That tends to be one of my strengths is to stay patient, and that's probably why I have performed well here in the past.

Q. Have you ever hit it into that rock on No. 7?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I did it on Thursday, straight into the middle of the rock on Thursday, right at it, had to chip it out.

Q. You were able to chip it out?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, I was actually normally it's never been such a big issue, that rock, until this year. It's sucking everybody in this year for some reason. I even hit a 3 wood today off the tee and I hit it past the rock. I wasn't sure I would do that. For some reason the hole has played a little bit shorter this year, maybe a change of direction in wind.

Q. All three leaders have been in there at least once.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: There you go.

Q. Do you take the theory that if you hit it straight, no ball ever goes straight so aim for the rock?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: No, I tried that already. I was aiming left of it today and I hit it right (laughter). I shouldn't tell you that, should I?

Q. We watched you and Monty just smoke them at Oakland Hills. You guys had a great time up there, you were just in sync. Are you going to lobby for you guys to start off this year and be a pair like you were last time, especially since it's on your side of the pond?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Depends how Monty is playing (laughter).

Q. Somehow he'll get in, won't he?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: He's already in. I'm the one that has to try and get in. We'll wait and see. You never know how these things go. It could be more appropriate at the time; Monty is obviously very experienced, I have some experience, so maybe it might be more appropriate to split us up. Who knows what's going to happen? Who knows what the captain is going to be thinking? It could be quite possible one of us is playing quite poorly. It's not possible, I think Monty is already qualified, he's got enough points up. But I think in my case I have to do it, so maybe I won't even be there, you never know. We'll have to wait and see.

Q. I don't know how much you pay attention to the U.S. team since you've been

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I haven't paid attention.

Q. In the matches have been played already, have you found it curious that Tiger has gone through so many partners in the Ryder Cups that you've played, and did you take note at all to his successful pairing with Furyk, which was sure to be another one at K Club?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I saw The Presidents Cup and I heard the commentators pointed that out in picking the team for Tom Lehman. You know, who knows what's going to happen when it comes around. As I said, it looks like Jim is I think anybody would like to possibly be partnered with Jim in four ball or foursomes. I don't think anybody would be turning Tiger Woods down as their partner, either, so it seems like an ideal accommodation.

Q. You don't think you'll see Tiger Mickelson?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: You've got to remember that it was Phil and David Toms that played so well at the Belfry, so there was a great they were a great partnership there. Wasn't it Phil and David Toms? Yeah, so they're not talking about it now. Phil had a new partner at the Presidents Cup.

Q. DiMarco.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: There you go, and yet he played very well at the Belfry with David Toms.

We can all pick the team here. When it comes around, who knows what the week will bring. Only eight guys play those first couple of matches. Eight guys play, so you have to pick the guys who are playing well of the 12 on your team. You can't start bringing guys in, or maybe you can. That's up to the captain to decide whether he wants to go with an established partnership with one of them slightly off or bring in a rookie who's playing great golf. We'll have to wait and see.

Q. Where do you think that this Ryder Cup will rank as far as sporting events in Ireland in history?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I would like to say it's possible it's going to be the biggest occasion, but we had the Special Olympics there a year and a half ago or two years ago now, and that was huge in the country. It's hard to say. I think it might be it's hard to see more people being involved than there was at that event. It would be right up there, if not the No. 1, it would be with that, with the Special Olympics. I don't think it's possible to have an event bigger than that was, so it's right there with it.

Q. Are we going to see you playing more on the West Coast this year, in the upcoming year, more in the U.S. in general?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I'm playing the exact same; more or less the same tournaments I played this year I will play next year. You know, give or take I didn't play I didn't like this year, so that's a good sign that I'll go back.

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Thank you. Appreciate your time.

End of FastScripts.

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