Harrington: three in a row?
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Last year's major specialist Padraig Harrington is delighted to play second fiddle to Tiger Woods in the attention stakes at Augusta this week.
The Irishman has won the last two majors and will tee it up on Thursday well-fancied to win a first green jacket on Sunday.
If he does, he will join Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods as the only man ever to win three majors in a row.
That would be a phenomenal achievement, eclipsing greats like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, but the focus of attention is very much on the returning Woods this week.
Harrington is happy about that. "Tiger, when you get to the bigger stage, is the top dog and he deserves the attention with what he's done," he said.
"It's a fantastic story, but I've got three majors. It's a dream come true for me and I'm fully concentrating on what I'm doing in my career.
"You know, it makes no difference to me. The outside stuff I can't control, so I'm not too fussed about it.
"At the end of the day I can go home to Ireland and I can get Tiger Woods-esque attention there."
It was pointed out to him that at times during his Monday practice round fewer than 20 people were watching.
He easily dismissed that one, however. "I was playing at five o'clock in the evening and it was cold!"
The 37-year-old also makes the point that come Thursday's opening round the storylines make no difference.
"Does that make him play better golf? Or me? No, we've got to go out there and play our own games and not let the outside stuff affect it.
"Regardless of what's happening, it's not going to give me a shot advantage and it's not going to give me a shot disadvantage."
Special
The opportunity to do something so special is not greatly adding to the difficulty of doing it, Harrington believes.
"It's a major," he said. "It's a chance to win another major. It's a chance to win The Masters.
"All of those things bring their own pressure. Just because it's three in a row it adds to it, but not significantly.
"If I'd won the US Open instead of The Open and then the PGA I would not be going for three (in a row), but for me there would be just as much pressure.
"It's gotten to that level that adding any more on doesn't make any difference in how I feel.
"I'm going to have that pressure for the foreseeable future in majors. I'm going to turn up to a lot of them and know that if I play my game I can win.
"I know if I prepare right and play right it's possible for me to be in control of me winning."
Harrington's preparations will include the Wednesday par-three with his son Patrick on the bag.
He has won it twice in the past and will attempt to again, simply choosing to ignore the Augusta jinx. No par-three champion has won on Sunday.
