ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

January 21, 2023

Padraig Harrington

Yas Links

Quick Quotes

Q. A 64 today to climb right into the mix here, very nearly tying the course record, if it would have been a closing birdie awe a brilliant performance. What was the hallmark?

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I don't know, I probably stayed patient the last two days. I felt over the last two days I should have been a lot better. I was end of the field in putting but you wasn't putting bad.

So probably a good attitude going out there today that it would turn. I suppose that's coming from last year where it had turned and it's a perfect example of when good things are happening on the golf course it's a lot easier to be patient and wait for your run. I didn't even know I made six birdies on the back nine. It's just nice.

Q. A little earlier this week in an interview, it was put to you about winning again...talk about your longevity.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I think the game has changed and will be changing going forward. I would have been the first guys who started in the year of Tiger's big money, let's say. I always had a full-time physio and I all had a full-time trainer and I would have looked after myself all the time.

So just a different lifestyle. I think there's a lot of players who will get to 50 years of age fitter, stronger. I think the biggest problem is burnout. I was burnt out five years ago, no doubt about it. I'm here because I had nothing else to do.

I figured out this is actually what I like doing and I'm pretty good at it and there's no point in trying to be good at something else. I'll never be good as I am at golf, so why not find a way of going out there and loving golf again. I found that it did help me a lot on Champions Tour, no doubt about it but even before I got to the Champions Tour I realised I had to change as a golfing personality.

I started to enjoy my golf. I was playing better but the Champions Tour was a real eye-opener because nothing like -- there's nothing like playing with no cut, for starters. I hit the wall yesterday. I should have been at the to be of the leaderboard yesterday. The minute I started to think, what's the cut going to be, I just froze. Golf is tough when you're playing on the cut line.

Being in contention is where you want to be and then you figure out what you need it do and I was in contention a lot last year. I feel comfortable, you know, hitting the shots and taking on the shots, and in some ways better than I've ever been. I shot six birdies coming home on the back nine chasing after birdies, chasing after pins but when I did that in the heyday I would have been quite hyped up and stressed about it. Today it was ho-hum this is what I do.

Q. A 64, you must be thrilled.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I'm very happy. Got that sort of -- sometimes happens on a Saturday. You go out there a little bit early, off the lead, no pressure, no stress. Got a good vibe in the group talking, chatting, telling stories and the score just happened. I didn't realise I made six birdies in a row on the back nine and that's a good place to be on the golf course when you're not overthinking and you're enjoying what you're doing and enjoying the company.

Q. How much does it mean to you to be at the age of 51, right in the mix of a big Rolex Series Event such as this heading into the final round?

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: Might mean a lot more to my fellow Champions Tour players. I could see myself chasing my tail all year and trying to get a win on the regular tour. It's an interesting place I'm at. I'm curious to see where I established in the game at the moment. I believe I'm better than I've ever been but that doesn't -- doesn't mean it's a fact or true. We'll see. I'm not going to put myself under too much stress but it's nice.

As I said. It's nice. I felt like I left an awful lot of shots out there. Certainly my first 27 holes this week, and then I hit a wall when I was on the cut line and then I relaxed again today and played some lovely golf. Could have been plenty better today but maybe even today, what kick started my round, I chipped in from a difficult place on the sixth hole, got a couple of bad breaks, and all of a sudden I chip-in and make birdie, and that can be the catalyst. You can be surprised. The caddies are out there telling us to try and be patient and wait for our turn, and it's going to turn around but you do need to see it turnaround the odd time in order to believe that story.

Q. What would it mean to you to become the oldest winner on the DP World Tour?

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: I think it would mean an awful lot to me to become the oldest winner. If I went and won right now, I actually think it would mean something totally different. It would mean that I am actually competitive. You know, if I go and win out of the blue somewhere and steal a win, that's nice. I can put it down on my C.V. as the oldest winner. But if I come into tournaments talking a big game and deliver, that means I'm a player again with the young guys, and it would be other goals I would be seeking out, not just a sort of random sneaky win at my age.

Q. Other goals such as?

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON: Just winning tournaments again. Being backup there. I would probably start looking at World Rankings and things like that. And I do know how it works.

If I came here and delivered, like I don't know, it could be three, four shots off the lead tomorrow, who knows. If I go out there, I'm not two or three shots; or I'm close and I play well. And it doesn't mean winning. I don't have to win to prove that I'm good enough to compete with these guys. If I go out tomorrow and I'm competitive, and even -- I'm not going to hang myself on that either. I'm up there at the moment. I do not think it's a fluke that I'm there. We'll see how I play out. I'm playing with the juniors for the next number of weeks. We'll see if I can continue to be up at the top and competitive, and if I am, it will have to be different schedules.