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THE CELTIC MANOR WALES OPENMay 30, 2008Padraig HarringtonNEWPORT, WALES Q. Disappointing day today. PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, of course it is. Obviously you never like to go out there and miss the cut. Really didn't -- made a lot of poor decisions. Wasn't holing the putts to make up for anything. You know, kind of got a little bit back into it there and had a horrible 3-putt at the sixth hole, so just a horrible time to have it. Was kind of getting back into things. Obviously that's kind of summing up things at the moment. It really was from nowhere. I had half a chance of holing the first one and left it three feet short and made no effort at the next one. Again, a day of some poor decisions and not quite committed to shots. Q. And where does this leave you in your preparation for Torrey Pines? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Good to be honest. You know, just convinces me to be more committed next week in my decision making. So, this gives me something very strong to work on. You know, to be honest, it's actually been quite a positive week because even though I putted abominably, the reason I putted badly is I changed something in my putting and that seems to -- might be something that's been annoying me for 18 months, two years, I would say. We seem to have sorted something out this week, but it did put me off dreadfully for the two days, but certainly hopefully it's the root cause of something that was sort of getting to me every one in four weeks or something when I was out there. So on a positive note, that's quite positive. It really has been. Q. How long is that going to take to bed in? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Days. I won't be thinking about next Thursday. I was for the last two days, but I won't be thinking about it. Q. Somebody said you were right up high in the putting stats. PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, but I struggle over right-to-left putts. I have done for a long type. I must be the only person who struggles with right-to-left putts but I struggle badly with uphill, right-to-left putts. So, you know, every couple of weeks I get into a state where I really struggle and I'm fighting it most weeks, I would say. It's not that I'm not but I think we worked something out this week that might have worked. Q. So you tried something different and although it has not worked these two days, you know it's the way forward? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yes. Q. Can you tell us what it is? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It was just a posture thing I changed. My alignment, basically. I changed my alignment a little bit, my body alignment, which you try and do that, and you stand over a 4-footer and you don't know where you're aiming, it's not great. Q. Did you feel more comfortable as soon as you did it? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: No, just better putts. But as I said, felt very uncomfortable on the golf course. Q. Are you saying you'll stick with it? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Oh, yeah, it's great. You've seen the way I'm hitting my right-to-left putts. I basically struggled on my right-to-left putts for quite a long time. So this seems to be the way forward. Q. So just not setting the ball up -- PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I basically can't aim far enough right. There's not enough golf course on the right-hand side on a right-to-left putt for me. Q. Given your status in the game, when you miss a cut, the first time in Europe for about two years, is it pride more than anything? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Oh, yeah, pride, I don't want to miss any cuts. Yeah, very much so. Yeah, it only affects you, but it is your own pride. It's an interesting game, this. I could play a lot worse and make the cut, let's say. Q. Does it feel worse when you're sort of the headline attraction? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, that doesn't help. Doesn't help the situation. It certainly doesn't help the situation, but that's part of it, you know, you obviously -- I suppose you do a little more in those situations. But in fairness, I have enough experience of being in that situation that it doesn't get you but you are fighting it a little bit harder than I would be fighting anyway. It's not like I wasn't trying. Q. We've had some players in the past who with appearance money fees say they should give it back and others say it's none of our business; does it crop up? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: How is the weather? (Laughter). Q. You did commit for two years, so you'll be back next year, or has the way you've played put you off or has the course put you off? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: No. There should be no reason why I wouldn't do well on this course I've got to say. I wouldn't -- yeah, it's not a course, even though I've missed the cut, I find it strange that I've missed the cut and I don't feel like -- Q. It's not Wentworth, not a course that you don't think suits you? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, I don't feel that way at all about it. Yeah, and that might be one of the stranger things of the week. I look at the course, it's pretty much up my street here. You know, as I said it's all about, I've got another ten days of this and maybe be more disciplined over the next ten days. Q. When you've got two weeks of something like a U.S. Open and then come to a course that's very wet and long, do you wish you were in the States two weeks prior to the U.S. Open? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: For me, it's not about the conditions of the golf course or speed of greens or firmness. A lot of it is about how sharp my mind is and always being in a competitive round is what I'm looking at. You know, I've come quite well into some majors when I've missed cuts beforehand. But you know, that's not the issue. Missing the cut is never nice, and especially you have to go and look and figure out why it happened. Like I said, it would be a lot easier if I could say, oh, look, I want to do this on the swing and run down there and practise. I'm happy with things. You know, there's not really much, as I could say, I couldn't pull something out and say, well, that's the root cause, bar my own focus and concentration and decision making and things like that. But the rest of it, you know, no. Q. You said do a bit more, when you talk about being the headline attraction, did you mean sort of off the course do a bit more? PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Generally when you're the headline attraction, there is more to do; that's what it's about. You know, as I said, in other tournaments, there's nothing to do. There's just things, like I'm doing a clinic this afternoon. So there's always stuff to be done. End of FastScripts |
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