It sometimes feels like Pádraig Harrington could carry on forever but even he is looking over his shoulder not only at the younger generation on the PGA Tour, but also the feisty fifties popping up on the Champions Tour.
Harrington remains one of the biggest hitters on the senior circuit but at 53, he also acknowledges the fact he may only have a few more years where he can be a serial winner before the next crop of players who are 50 gang up on him.
For that reason alone, the Dubliner knows that this week’s Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Arizona is a massive opportunity to try and overhaul points leader Ernie Els and win his first season-long Schwab Cup on the Champions Tour.
“Yeah, I’m getting a bit older, so I am aware that it’s not going to get easier to win the Schwab Cup,” Harrington said.
“There’s more players coming on, new players. If I have a chance, I’ll certainly be anxious to take my chance.”
Harrington has won nine times on the Champions Tour since joining in 2022 including the US Senior Open that year.
The three-time major winner has the length to beat some of the younger players coming onto the senior tour and has managed to keep himself competitive on the main tours finishing in a tie for 22nd place at this year’s Open Championship.
He also made the cut in all three of his major appearances last year prompting an eleventh hour outside bid to make the European Ryder Cup team.
“Look, I’ve tried to keep my speed up to compete with the young guys, so it’s an advantage when I come out here, for sure,” he said.
“It’s nice to have that advantage and know I can get at a few more pins than other guys, but you’ve still got to hole the putts and hit the shots.”
Last Sunday’s win at the Simmons Bank Championship which propelled him from 11th to 4th in the Champions Tour rankings was the 41st of Harrington’s professional career and each win still means as much as the last.
“My intention when I was a young guy was to play amateur golf,” he said. “I only turned pro because I was beating the guys who were turning pro. But I’ve never looked back. I’ve run with that ball and golf has been very good for me.
“It doesn’t get old though winning, I’ve got to say.”
He added: “Hitting those shots wasn’t just about winning this tournament, it was about kind of reliving the past glories. I’m not saying validating past glories, but certainly reliving it. Hey, I did this once and I was pretty good at it and I’m not too bad at it now.”
Leave a comment