Rónán MacNamara in Portrush
Unless he is watching a chick flick movie on an aeroplane, Pádraig Harrington rarely has to fight off the waterworks. But when he emerged from the first tee tunnel to a hero’s welcome at 06:31 to hit the opening tee shot of the 153rd Open Championship he did allow himself to well up.
Harrington was given the honour of getting proceedings underway at Royal Portrush and while he has no intention of being a ceremonial golfer, he did allow himself to get swept away with the occasion – before cracking a 3-iron straight down the middle.
“I hyped up the tee shot as much as I could so when I got there today, it wasn’t too bad. I was decently comfortable when I got on the tee. Obviously didn’t try for too much, hit a nice smooth 3-iron down there, held the pose a little bit,” he smiled.
“I got a little emotional when I was clapped on, and then I calmed down, and I was kind of fine when I was hitting it.
“Usually when I’m watching a movie on an aeroplane. Does everybody not well up on aeroplanes? I think aeroplanes do that to me. Could be a comedy or something like that. It doesn’t have to be that serious.
“I wouldn’t say I get too emotional, not like that, no. It was definitely — it felt like they were there for me, giving me a clap, yeah. I expected the nerves; I didn’t expect that. So I did have to adjust myself for that.”
The first tee was a scene. Swarms of fans were locked in a queue for the grandstand which stretched all the way to the entrance gate. Those that didn’t fancy the wait lined the first fairway and packed the green side grandstand.
Those who beat the sunrise got full validation for their dedication as Harrington struck another 3-iron into the heart of the first green and rolled in a 15-footer for one of the most historic birdies in Open Championship history – repeating the heroics of Darren Clarke from six years earlier.
“I came off the range about 20 minutes before my tee time, and I could see the grandstand, and it was empty. I was like, I thought this was going to be full. Obviously we have to walk up and over, and as I came up and over, I could see people queueing for a long line to get into it. They hadn’t let anybody in.
“By the time we got there, the grandstand was full, the first fairway was full, the first green was full.
“Hitting that second 3-iron into 15, 18 feet, holing the putt was a serious buzz. It was very exciting, and the crowds were, as I said — those crowds were spectacular at that hour of the morning. It was really great.”
The two-time champion golfer of the year will forever be part of Open folklore and he remains the last back to back winner of the Claret Jug but he admitted that his birdie on the first was one of his top moments at this championship.
“Absolutely. You certainly wouldn’t start your career off expecting anything like that. It’s not something you think, oh, this is something I’d like to do in my career. It’s certainly something — yeah, it was — it wasn’t out of the blue. It was out of the blue when I was asked this year, but it’s not out of the blue if you were thinking about it.
“I’m glad I did it now, put it like this. Maybe I might get to do it again.”
Harrington’s overriding emotion was disappointment after following up his sensational opening with a round of 75 which included three 3-putts and a double bogey on the 10th after a lost ball.
But as a deluge of rain thrashed the roof of the media mixed zone, the glint returned to his eye. Eight back with some bad weather to come, he still has a chance right?
Maybe not, but making the weekend at the very least is still more than attainable, but he will have to sharpen up on the greens.
Many worried how Harrington would handle the first tee nerves on Thursday morning, but maybe starting off with a birdie was the worst thing as it eased those butterflies and maybe caused his focus to wane.
“Obviously after that, I don’t know through the start maybe there was a little bit of hype in it, the three-putting 3 and 4, I just struggled. Three three-putts in the first seven holes, it just kills you when you’re always thinking about your pace as you’re standing over the ball, you’re always questioning your lines.
“Yeah, it was a tough day on the greens, and it just ate into my game. Might have been a little bit of the fact that I was hyped up for the 1st tee box. Who knows? Certainly felt like I played better, could have played better, should have played better, scored better.
“I don’t feel like there’s anything wrong with my putting, and I had a horrible day on the greens. It’s one of those things that’s the nature of the game, links golf. I’d love to be — yeah, I’d love to be a bit better, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying.”
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