Padraig Harrington believes he can win The Open - but says he will have to "get away with it"
The Dubliner arrives at Royal Troon after winning the Dick's Sporting Goods Open for the third consecutive year last month in New York
Padraig Harrington says he is at The Open to win this week - but admits his preparations have not been perfect for the final major of the year.
The Dubliner arrives at Royal Troon after winning the Dick's Sporting Goods Open for the third consecutive year last month in New York, which was his second victory on the PGA Champions Tour this year.
Harrington is as big as 400/1 with the bookies to lift the Claret Jug for a third time following his victories at Carnoustie in 2007 and Royal Birkdale the following year, but is aiming to outrun his odds at the venue where he finished tied fifth 27 years ago, not that he remembers it.
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"I had no idea that I finished fifth here 27 years ago so that just says what it meant to me," said Harrington. "I wouldn’t even take it this week. I know it’s a long shot and I'm trying to catch lightning in a bottle as I said before but finishing fifth is a pat on the back and that’s about it."
When asked if he feels he is a contender at the 152nd Open Championship, the 52-year-old said: "In my head I have to create that sort of reality. It doesn’t have to be what everyone else thinks. Do I believe that I can win? Yes. Do I think this is my last chance? No. That would only make it harder if you thought like that.
"I wouldn’t be working as hard or trying as hard if I thought I was coming here to make up the numbers. It is a bit of a long shot but I see some good things in my game. I haven’t struck the ball well the last few weeks.
“I’m striking it better now but I didn’t really want to be hitting balls the last couple of days in terms of you’re getting it into your routine, your mental game. I’ve been a bit too much into the technical side so I’m not … ready as you would like to be mentally ready.
“But I have played many tournaments where I haven’t done the right preparation and got away with it but I do have to get away with it."
He added: "I'm still working on my routines a little bit. The ball striking is there, it's just a question of mentally being.... If you watch my routines, they are a bit all over the place at the moment. So that's something that I have to get, even in this last nine holes I'm still trying to get to grips with, whereas normally you'd have that done two weeks before the tournament."
Harrington is joined by a strong Irish contingent at the final major of the year, made up of Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Tom McKibbin, Darren Clarke and amateur Liam Nolan.
"Shane looks very comfortable, very happy with his game," said Harrington, who played alongside the Offaly man in the final practice round yesterday. "Rory is in top form. Tom McKibbin is new to this. He’s a fine player and should set his sights on contending in majors down the road. This is the start of it for him. He’s got to get himself in and around it at times.
"It’ll be a long stretch for Liam Nolan as an amateur but he’s a fine ball striker, really good. Great swing. He’s already met that minimum threshold. It would be up to where his head is at, how comfortable he feels around professional golf."
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