Harrington: rates Augusta 'incredibly highly'
Padraig Harrington heads into next week's Masters looking to secure his third consecutive major and admitting that Augusta represents the ultimate test for any golfer.
The popular Dubliner defended his Open Championship crown last year before going on to win the USPGA Championship just a few weeks later.
Harrington has twice finished fifth at Augusta, in 2002 and last year, and acknowledges he always relishes the chance to test himself amongst the dogwood and azalea.
"I rate it (Augusta) incredibly highly," stated the 37-year-old. "The Open is very close to my heart, but, in terms of sternness of test and ability to play golf, if you can win The Masters you can really play this game.
"Whenever I'm practising I'm always thinking 'Is this up to the standard that will get me around Augusta?'
"If it is that means it would cover any golf course. If you can play Augusta you can play anywhere.
"You're not going to win by luck. You're going to be on top of your game and you're going to have the ability to play golf in all departments of your game.
"You're not going to get away with just being a good putter or a good chipper or a good driver. You have to have all departments that week.
"You've got to be in top form with your putter to be in contention because you're going to get some difficult putts.
"Strategy is probably the biggest play at Augusta, certainly the biggest difference in Augusta from all other golf courses.
"You see courses where every player will hit the same club off each tee and every player will hit to the same pins and whatever. Augusta it all changes.
"When to go at a pin, when not to, where is the place to play safe, it gives you so many options that you've got to be right on top of your mental game that week.
"I think the two things are to putt well and to make the right decisions. If I do those two things I know I'll have a good week."
Reputation
While Harrington's season has been somewhat mediocre to date - only one top-10 finish in 2009 - he takes great strength from his achievements last year when he truly cemented his reputation as one of the modern greats.
"It's nice that I am going for three in a row," he continued. "It means I did something right in the last two majors.
"But I'm not going to this major and thinking it has to happen. I'm working on the principle that there are a number of major championships ahead of me.
"If I can win some of them that's fair enough. If you said to me I was going to miss the cut at this Masters and win the Masters next year I'd be very happy with that.
"If it happens it will be a bonus, but I'm not going to put any pressure on my ability to win this one. A lot of my rhetoric and talk is about trying to manage this as a stand-alone event."
Changing landscape
After his achievement of becoming the first European since Tommy Armour in 1931 to win back-to-back majors, Harrington was the focus of the golf world.
However, the landscape has changed in recent months meaning the Dubliner is no longer the centre of attention in the build-up to Augusta - a fact that he is pleased about.
"Tiger is back playing, Phil (Mickelson) is obviously playing great golf, you've got Rory McIlroy taking a lot of the attention at home in Ireland and in Britain, you've got Retief Goosen back in form, you've got Greg Norman sentimentally coming back," he added.
"All of this is helping take a little bit of the attention away from me. It means that I can get back to doing my thing and get back to a little bit of normality in my preparation."
