Padraig Harrington and Tiger Woods walk side-by-side at the US PGA
You may be one of those who thinks that Padraig Harrington is the next player most likely to offer a lasting challenge to Tiger Woods but I won't be joining you. Caution is my watchword, as it was when I said that I would not put a penny on Tiger Woods exceeding Jack Nicklaus's total of 18 major championships.
It would be imprudent to put money on Woods achieving this remarkable figure, even though he has 14.
By the same token, I have yet to be convinced that Harrington is at the level necessary to play with Woods on a regular basis and not be intimidated into losing his head or being outplayed by the world No 1. There are signs that Harrington might be able to but there are also signs that he might not and, until there are more positive than negative signs, I shall reserve judgment.
Here is my evidence, based on watching them closely on television in their past two tournaments. First, the 70th hole at the Bridgestone Invitational earlier this month.
Woods and Harrington are in a battle royal. Woods led at the start, Harrington overtook him and now leads by one stroke. Completely focused on their game, both men are playing slowly.
On the 16th tee they are warned that they are 17 minutes out of position and need to speed up. Woods's reaction was to hit an eight-iron to within a few feet of the flagstick, Harrington's was to make one mistake after another, overhitting his recovery from the rough so that his ball ran to the edge of a bunker, overhitting his next shot and overhitting his next down into a pond in front of the green.
Second piece of evidence came at the eighth hole at Hazeltine National in the final round of the US PGA Championship. Harrington was one stroke behind Woods, playing well, until he hit his tee shot into a pond on a par-three 8th hole, yanked his third shot from a drop zone so far left that he almost hit Henrik Stenson, his playing partner, and then thinned his pitch over the green and into the pond, again. Three more strokes and he had run up an eight, five over par.
Harrington has improved so much lately that it may only be a short time before he learns how to avoid making mistakes like those. Woods will probably win another five major championships and thus pass Nicklaus's record of 18. He is only 33.
Probably, but not definitely. I am not convinced that either of these will come to pass so I am not prepared to risk any of my money yet. Neither should you.
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