Padraig Harrington has been handed a new season life-line after an injury-interrupted 2016/17 PGA Tour schedule.
Harrington and his family headed home after he missed the third round cut in Sunday’s concluding Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The triple Major winner needed to finish top-three to qualify for the start of this week’s lucrative FedEx Cup Play-Off Series on Long Island.
Harrington ends the year officially 199th on the FedEx Cup points standing and his poorest finish since moving to the PGA Tour full-time in 2007.
However, the Dubliner’s season was marred on June 5th when he was struck on the elbow by an amateur golfer in hosting a corporate outing in the Washington D C region.
The injury resulted in Harrington missing six weeks on the PGA Tour so he applied, and was granted, a PGA Tour ‘Minor’ Medical Exemption.
Is has resulted in Harrington being afforded nine events on the 2017/18 PGA Tour season, and starting from October 5th with the Safeway Open in California, to make-up the difference in FedEx Cup points from the player ranked 125th on the 2016/17 season and his 199th standing.
If successful, Harrington will be afforded full 2017/18 Tour membership.
“There is no special period when I have to play the nine events, so it will be my first nine events of the new Tour season starting later this year,” he said.
“I would have had to wait a few more weeks to be given a ‘Major Medical Exemption’ but I came back for the Travelers in accepting a ‘Minor Medical’.
“I have the all-time PGA Tour money-winners category I could draw on if needed, so I would have had no problem using that category in playing as many events on the new season schedule as I could.
“I have been playing very well and scoring very well, so I just have to wait for my week to happen but then nine events to make-up the FedEx Cup points I need should hopefully be fine”.
Harrington indicated he will next compete in the September 21st starting defence of his Portugal Masters title and the following fortnight’s October 5th commencing Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and event he won by five shots in 2006.
And if successful in either, the current 96th Race to Dubai ranked Harrington has not ruled out fighting his way into the top-60 to contest the season-finale in Dubai.
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