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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 14, 2009

Padraig Harrington

CHASKA, MINNESOTA

Q. Padraig, thanks for your time, just sum up the day for us in your own words.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I'm a little bit disappointed with the finish. You know, it was always going to be a tough day. I struggled in the middle of the round a little bit. I hit a careless shot on the 11th hole and then went into the tough holes and made three bogeys in a row and struggled a bit.
I was happy to make a couple of birdies. I was pushing hard to make another birdie coming home and was a little disappointed, one, that my chip shot ran by an 18. I thought I chipped it up stone-dead and then I hit a very awkward putt across the slope and it was disappointing to miss it.

Q. The shot out of the bunker?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, everybody's talking about the shot out of the bunker. I'm glad it came off because maybe I would be criticized for taking it on. You know, I suppose at that time I had to push things on and I had to have a go at it. I felt good about it.
I felt like I could hit the shot and as it turned out, I could. But yeah, sometimes you've just got to go for those things and take a chance. And I did look at the fact that if I did miss it that I would probably -- well, I might have had anyway; I was probably thinking that I would end up in the same places if I laid up.

Q. Do you feel the effects of playing three straight rounds with Tiger?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I had a long week last week, leading from the first day, that's a tough week. You know, Tiger can have that effect, but I think it's more a question of just having four rounds in the lead last week or three rounds in the lead and then again starting out this week. So certainly there's an element of fatigue. That definitely showed up on that second shot on 11.

Q. Is a four-shot any lead bigger because Tiger is the one holding it?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Well, what do ya think? (Laughter). That's self-evident. We are all well aware of his ability to lead in the front. He gets better from the front. You know, he can play his shots all day and you know, pick and choose when to be aggressive and not to be aggressive. So I think he likes that position.
My own opinion being four behind is, you know, I can't second guess anything for the next two days. I'm going to have to trust everything, go after everything and not worry about making mistakes because you know I've got to play well and just chase it.

Q. How much tougher was it today than yesterday?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Oh, the conditions were very different today. You know, as I said, the greens firming up with the wind drying them out and yeah, it was awkward, swirling wind at times, the ball will go through in the trees and at times it would get affected. It was hard even on the greens, a lot of times you were standing over putts because the wind were coming up.
It was an awkward day and it would have been a very nice day, as I said, I'll be disappointed with that putt I missed on 18, but as I said I have to get over that if I'm going to play well for the next 36 holes.

Q. You seem to be fairly energized even with what you've been through the last week and a half.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, it is a major. I suppose I'll suffer next week. You know, the fact that you're in contention in a major will keep you going. I think that's a huge thing, very important that I don't drift out of it, because you know, maybe a little bit on 11, 12, 13 I felt it today. But I've got to stay in contention to keep myself -- keep the adrenaline going.

Q. Was there much talking today?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Not as much. It was a harder day. We were doing a lot more work. Yesterday was a lot simpler conditions and there was more time for that. Today it was definitely a lot more work.

End of FastScripts

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