Padraig Harrington Faces Hard Choices

Wentworth is the traditional home of the European Tour. It is really a great tournament venue. You can score well on it, but when the pressure comes on Sunday, those tree-lined holes and out-of-bounds get a little tight.

How are you going to be able to focus on your own game this week?

Hopefully, I won’t be able to focus on my play. Maybe being on the course will be a slight respite.

How do you think the event will play out because of Covid-19?

I’m interested in that, actually. Will the fans be more excited because they waited so long and there’s a certain level of, “Gee, we’re happy to be here?” I suspect, because of Covid, it might be more of a celebration of golf and the Ryder Cup than anything else.

I won’t ask you for your three picks, but do you have certain people in mind?

There are three weeks to go, and I’m very aware that things can change, especially with the BMW being such a big event. It would be pretty straightforward right now, but three weeks is a long time in golf.

And you’re happy with having three picks?

I chose three. They were offering me eight picks when it was at the height of the pandemic. The reason I wanted three is anybody who gets picked is under more pressure and stress because the media and public second-guess whether somebody else should be picked.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/08/sports/golf/padraig-harrington-ryder-cup.html