Pádraig Harrington admits that breaking Bernhard Langer’s record of 48 PGA Tour Champions wins is a bridge too far for himself but believes it will eventually be challenged.
Harrington, an eight time winner on the senior circuit has ruled himself out of the mix with Langer still impressing him at the age of 67.
“No,” said Harrington, who turns 53 next week. “I’ve tried to do the math on it as you would say.
“No, it doesn’t look possible or likely, but the reality is it mightn’t be me, but all records are broken; that’s just the way it is.
“When somebody sets a record, it’s a goal for somebody else, and they’ll chase it down eventually.
“Certainly, for myself, it would seem like an incredibly tall order. He’s 67, still playing great, which is amazing and an inspiration to us all, but to get to his amount of wins, I think, is a step too far for me.”
The three-time major champion returns to a state that he has fond memories with this week’s venue Warwick Hills only an hour away from Oakland Hills, where he won a Ryder Cup and PGA Championship in 2004 and 2008 respectively.
“Of course I do,absolutely,” he said. “Just up the road, my major win and the Ryder Cup win in 2004, it’s a happy hunting ground.
“I like the grass here; the conditions suit me well. I like tree-lined golf courses.
“Yeah, there’s no doubt coming here there’s a similarity in conditions that obviously suit me.”
Harrington has picked up two wins this term on the Champions Tour and is looking to make a charge up the Charles Schwab Cup money list and improve on his 9th place ranking.
“It’s been an interesting year,” he said. “I’ve been putting well, which I think has really helped, and the rest of the game has been pretty similar to other years.
“So I’m in nice form and just trying to get my head in the right place for the week as usual. You get the mental game going, you should be — if you’re sharp, hopefully, we’ll be there or thereabouts come Sunday afternoon.”
He added: “It’s a good set-up for me, so that’s a good start. You just want to make the right decisions at the right time, that’s really it.
“Whatever those decisions are, whether it’s attacking the right pin, being aggressive at the right time.
“You probably need a few breaks, too; it’s just never easy. It’s never a burden to carry a bit of good luck; you need a few things to go your way.
“But again, it’s about preparing right so that if you’re in the hunt on Sunday, you’re fresh and ready to go.”
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