“Ever since I got on the Champions Tour, I’ve never played one tournament healthy… I’ve had so many surgeries on knees, feet, shoulder, elbows, hands, you name it.” John Daly had stated previously. His statements clearly indicate that the senior leg of the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champions is not as easy as people believe it to be. Irish golfer Padraig Harrington also voiced a similar concern during the Senior PGA Championship. “I could be [struggling] by the end of the week. Mind you, I only had two rounds last week.” He stated.
Harrington came into the Senior PGA Championship after having competed at the PGA Championship in Quail Hollow just a week before. Despite having missed the cut, the effort expended would be much more than that on the Senior Tour and could have possibly affected the Irishman’s bid for a second senior major title. Harrington was flying high before stumbling late in the Round 4, conceding a 1-stroke loss to Angel Cabrera.
The Irishman, however, insists that it was not his legs but his mind that caused him to give up the victory. “I’ve had a lifelong problem with getting confident and cocky and I did on the 15 tee box it was such a simple tee shot. 5-wood, a little draw down there, and I just totally didn’t get into it enough and then panicked at the last moment and hit a big hook.” The Irish golfer stated.
It was highly unfortunate for the Irish golfer as he held a two-stroke lead over eventual winner Cabrera heading to the 15th. The 15th hole was a boon for the Argentine but was the undoing of the Irishman’s efforts. First, Harrington carded a double bogey at the 5-par 15. In doing so, he relinquished the lead he had held. When it was Cabrera’s turn, the Argentine knocked in a birdie, thereby inheriting the lead and clinching the eventual victory.
“It’s always plagued me my whole life since I’ve been a kid. Just get over confident and just don’t. I’d be much better off if I got to the 15th hole and there was water everywhere. Probably would’ve done a better job. I just sometimes just — it follows me around. I can get overconfident.” Harrington further explained.
The Irishman had a final chance to push the contest to a playoff, but he made things worse by carding a bogey on the final hole. The worse part was that Cabrera also did the same and if it were not for the bogey from Harrington, there would have been a playoff where chances of winning would be more balanced. There is some precedence to this kind of choke from Harrington. He has been severely hit hard whenever he approaches a hole with full confidence. He seems to do a lot better as an underdog.
“I lost a tournament when I was 18 years of age back — what was it called, the Irish Youth and I did the exact same thing. Two ahead with three to play and relaxed. I’m much better off in with nerves and tension.” The Irishman further added. The Senior PGA Championship has followed an eerily similar script for Padraig Harrington at the senior majors since 2023.
Padraig Harrington’s senior major title woes
The Irishman’s story at the senior majors is one of ‘so-close-yet-so-far’. He etched his name on the Tour by winning the 2022 US Senior Open. But since then he hasn’t won a second senior major title, despite coming perilously close several times on the tour. His first close miss, came at the 2023 Kitchen Aid Senior PGA Championship when he lost to Steve Stricker through a playoff.
The very same year at the Senior Open Championship, Harrington was involved in a tie on top of the leaderboard yet again. However, he found himself on the losing side yet again, bowing out to German golfer Alex Cejka on the second extra hole. And now, this close loss after holding the lead with four holes to go. The pattern will be bugging Harrington’s mind and he will be looking to set the record straight in the upcoming events on the Tour.
Do you think Padraig Harrington can win another senior major title this year or will he succumb to his ‘lifelong demons’ when the opportunity presents itself?
The post After John Daly’s Warning Comes True, 3X Major Winner Confronts ‘Lifelong Problems’ That Cost Him Millions appeared first on EssentiallySports.
