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IRISH OPEN

May 17, 2008

Padraig Harrington

ADARE, IRELAND

Q. How do you feel coming back in 37 having gone out in 33?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I think what was frustrating, going out in 33, I played the good golf the first 11 holes and should have been a lot better at that stage. I missed a number of chances through those holes, then sort of lost my way a little over the last seven holes.

Q. Is it possible to try too hard, because you are obviously really trying to improve ground.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, as I say, for the first 11 holes, I was certainly very much playing my game, doing my thing.
You know, maybe I was trying too hard, got a little frustrated after that, certainly I hit all of the golf shots early on in the round, so it was a little bit disappointing when you shoot 70.

Q. Yesterday you said you didn't look at the leaderboard until you finished; how about today?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Same thing. Same thing. 7-under par is not too far away. A lot of names, though, up there, and I think I shot 2-under and I'm still 19th, so a lot of guys I have to pass tomorrow.
It is a tough golf course but as the leaders are showing today, with so many guys in contention it's going to take a good score tomorrow to win.

Q. Can you see a low one out there then?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Oh, yeah, there was a low one shot today. Certainly it's on out there, and in these sort of conditions, with very little wind, the greens softened up with the overnight rain, the scoring was certainly on and certainly plenty of chances. So you've just got to get a hot putter.

Q. So tomorrow do you play more aggressively?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I don't think I could hit it any closer than I did more or less early on today. Yeah, you've got to take on the shots out here.
To be honest, because none of the pin positions on the greens, you don't fire at; they are all sort of put away in corners, so if you try to play safe, you're better off firing straight at them and taking your chances. There really isn't anywhere on the golf course -- I don't think there was a pin position, maybe 11 at the back of the green but there was hardly a pin position that you sort of hit it to 20 feet right or left of the hole. It was always all day, fire at the pins, especially with no wind.
It's not like I've putted well for the two days, but with putts like on the last, you get onto 12, 14 feet, it's not like they are 4-footers or anything like that. As I said, I'd be very happy with my putting. I just need to get on a roll where I see them going in and, you know, drop a few putts and once you hole in a few, you kind of get out of your own way and you hole a few more. Once you start off missing a few, you kind of get in your own way and you miss a few more.

Q. You're looking up at the leaderboard, obviously you're talking about serious players up there, I mean, Westwood obviously is one of those.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, I did have a look at the leaderboard and I had no idea that he shot the score he had, and he would be a tougher man at the top of the leaderboard, you know, if there was certainly other players up there, you wouldn't be as concerned; but Lee, you are going to expect him to perform tomorrow.

Q. Tee-to-green on the front nine, can you play much better than that?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Probably not, no. I would think I'm playing -- yeah, I couldn't have played much better than that. I certainly wouldn't look to play any better. But the game is a bit like that. The better you play, the more you're going to have those 15-footers and 12-footers, and you get a bit frustrated.
Sometimes a little scrappy out, you're getting up-and-down, it gives you momentum and you make more birdies that way.

Q. What was the big difference in the course today; a lot of low scores were shot.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Greens were soft.

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