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THE 148TH OPEN

July 19, 2019

Padraig Harrington

Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Q. 3-over par won't be enough for the weekend. How do you look back on the last couple of days?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, very disappointing. Hit a lot of good putts yesterday, at least, and kind of lost momentum today with my putter after that. Yeah, a bit of a shame.

I didn't putt well at all today. The putts that I missed yesterday -- I hit good putts, so it kind of gets in on you, I suppose. Disappointing to putt so badly today after playing so well.

So, yeah, disappointing, disappointing, disappointing.

Q. Is it just not being able to complete the momentum of good starts on both days, when you got into that good zone that you couldn't keep it going for long enough?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I just -- it might have felt like momentum on the birdies. But two of the birdies I made were short eagle putts that I missed. It just didn't feel that way to me. The only green I missed going out there was 8 and I hit a good putt and it -- to the right half of the hole, breaking to the right and goes out the other way and misses.

I'm under a lot of pressure then on 11. I hit a good drive down there. Hit a little 6-iron in there, but I missed the green and chip it up to whatever, five feet, but -- when you're not holing putts you're under pressure with that second shot because you think you've got to hit it in close to make a birdie, not to make an eagle. And I missed that.

I don't know how my putt broke on the next hole. Two nice putts and then three-putted the next. Yeah, it's just one of those things. The scores might have said I had momentum but it felt the opposite to me.

Q. It's all mental, the mental game?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, absolutely. I hit the ball great today. I hit it particularly close really all the way through. I hit it great, to be honest, all the way. So I'd be happy if I hit the ball like that every day. And I hit my putts well yesterday, they just didn't go in. It's very hard when you lose momentum on the green. It's amazing how hard it is. You're questioning is this the right read and you're just hitting your putts with a little bit of doubt. It goes against you. That's the nature of the game.

Q. Talk about Shane Lowry.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: He's getting himself in decent positions more and more. I think today is a big day for going out there and he's obviously handling it very well. I think today says a lot about him. Tough to lead a tournament all the way. I know he wasn't leading the first day but it would have felt like that. But he has done it in the past. He is gaining experience. It looks good, me looking from the outside it looks very good.

Q. Will you drop him a text tonight? What would your advice be to him?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Just keep playing his game and expect ebbs and flows. Don't expect it all to go his way for the next 36 holes. If he sticks in there the likelihood is he'd have a great chance to win with nine holes to go. I wouldn't take it as if it's going to be a breeze for the next 36 holes.

But he's earned it. He's done enough in the first two rounds to basically say if he sticks in for the next 36 holes, not saying that he couldn't go away as well from the field, but if he sticks in he's going to have a chance with nine holes to go. That's all the first two rounds do if you play well, it gets you in position that you have a number of winning scenarios. And he's dealt himself the right cards, openers, at this stage.

Q. Is it particularly hard to take not to be here on the weekend when you're out there in the atmosphere? And it feels like a different atmosphere to an Open atmosphere, a very Irish atmosphere, not to get another couple of rounds in to savour that?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It feels like a great Open Championship. I've been at many an Open Championship where the crowds are fantastic. This is unbelievable. It's excellent. But so are all Opens.

There's definitely a great buzz out there with Shane playing well. I think the fact that Shane is up there leading, he's only two groups behind us, he had fantastic crowds and we could hear -- we basically knew every shot he hit throughout the round without seeing any. It's a tremendous buzz. Certainly my own experience playing Opens in the UK, it feels like everybody following me is Irish anyway. It's up there, without a doubt. They're all pretty special.

Q. What impresses you about Shane? He's a pal of yours. He's been a classy player for quite a long time. Been up there in majors before.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Certainly he's got a great attitude and a winning mentality, no doubt about it. He's got belief and he's got strong game. So that's never an issue but it always comes down to do you believe he can do it. I believe he believes he can win. And that's more than you can say for a lot of guys who could be in that situation. I think Shane does believe he can do it.

Q. That's key.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It's everything. As I said, his physical game is strong. He doesn't have a problem, he's good on links golf. He's good at everything that's required for links golf. But you've got to believe it can happen. And I do believe he thinks he's in that window where he can win major championships.

Q. Do you think part of it might be his track record at Oakmont?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: No, I think it's a learning experience, Oakmont. Very few players -- if you can win these things without going through that a couple of times, I would definitely think he's a better player because of Oakmont rather than scarred.

He's won big tournaments. It's not all gone one way or the other. He's had some tough ones on the golf course and he's had some good ones. That's the most important thing. It's not one way or the other. It would be nice if it was all wins.

Oakmont has definitely got to be a help to him, not a hindrance.

Q. Seems to be able to express himself this week. He was saying he was able to see shots and just go ahead and hit them without fear.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: If you're leading an Open Championship you're obviously in a very nice place, both physically, technically, and mentally. So I wouldn't expect anything else if he's leading, yes. You don't get up there any other way.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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