Rónán MacNamara in Royal Troon
Pádraig Harrington admits that an Open Championship in Portmarnock Golf Club in 2032 would be a fitting and special farewell to his Claret Jug career.
Open champions are granted exemptions into the event until they are 60 and Harrington, now 52, is excited by the prospect of potentially playing his last Open Championship in Portmarnock after the R&A confirmed that the Dublin club applied to the government for funding to bring the championship outside of the UK for the first time.
“It would be very nice. It was the year it was my last year in 2032 32. if the open came to Portmarnock iin my last year. Hopefully something can happen on that,” said Harrington on the practice range at Troon.
“I’d be 60 that year. I know I’d try again. You know what I am like. But I can’t see it fitting in any date before 2030. So maybe wait an extra year.”
Harrington can of course still qualify for Open Championships after his exemption as long as he remains fit and healthy. An Open hosted in a capital city would also be a first for the major championship and the two-time Claret Jug winner and 2008 PGA champion feels it could be a trailblazer to potentially move the championship outside of Ireland and the UK.
“It would seem like a…there aren’t any, is there? Has The Open ever been held in London? No. so it would be the first time, so there you go, it would be something interesting, the first time outside the UK,” added Harrington.
“It would justify the fact that we call it The Open, it would solidify that the R&A is in charge of golf all over the world and it would open up the possibility for The Open in time going to Australia or places like that, maybe not the time of the year, but why not?”
Harrington will be hoping that if he arrives in Portmarnock at the 2032 Open he will have one more major in his back pocket. His best chance of upsetting the young guns is undoubtedly on a links course.
Fifth here in 1997, a result he does not remember, Harrington is still rolling the dice when it comes to becoming the oldest winner of a major title.
Most importantly, he still believes he can win.
“In my head I have to create that sort of reality. It doesn’t have to be what everyone else thinks. Do I believe that I can win? Yes. Do I think this is my last chance? No. That would only make it harder if you thought like that,” said the Dubliner who still has officially has eight Opens to run.
“I wouldn’t be working as hard or trying as hard if I thought I was coming here to make up the numbers. It is a bit of a long shot but I see some good things in my game. I haven’t struck the ball well the last weeks.
“I’m striking it better now but I didn’t really want to be hitting balls the last couple of days in terms of you’re getting it into your routine, tour mental game. I’ve been a bit too much into the technical side so I’m not … ready as you would like to be mentally ready.
“But I have played many tournaments where I haven’t done the right preparation and got away with it but I do have to get away with it.”
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