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THE 3 IRISH OPEN


May 15, 2009


Padraig Harrington


BALTRAY, IRELAND

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Obviously the score was better than yesterday and it was nice to get back it to 2-over par. Played the exact same way, no difference from today and yesterday. Couldn't distinguish anything in particular. Nice to have a score go right for me and happy enough with it.

Q. Level par for the first nine was probably as good as the 4-under on the back nine; is that fair to say?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: There's only one really tough hole out there. Well, I suppose there was a few tough holes at the start. It was pretty tough out there for a while. The pins are accessible, so even if you can miss the greens, you chip it up close. I suppose there was not as many birdie chances on the front nine, my first nine so I was happy enough to be at level par knowing that there was a few chances coming up.

Q. In terms of putting together a round that gives it you some confidence, that is typical of the form that you would like to be in, where would that rate?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: As a round of golf, it's kind of -- when players are in form, to shoot 68 like that today, playing okay, and when players are slightly out of form, they shoot 73 like I did yesterday. So whichever one you want to take. In other words, they were the exact same in terms of ball-striking and everything like that, totally the same. Some of the misses finished in places that were okay compared to yesterday, let's say.
So I know that if I stay patient, the good scores will come back, and it's just a question of waiting on it. Today was a day that, you know, things happened, and a few more putts dropped, a few more things happened, went well for me.
So I know over time, this is what happens, it goes in ebbs and flows, and just stay patient and wait for it to happen.

Q. There's virtually no prospect of avoiding the 30-mile-an-hour wind, according to the weather forecast, and we spoke about it being possibly windy today, are you now looking for that wind?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I think so. Obviously we had a particularly tough morning, and certainly it's pleasant now for the guys going out this afternoon. Certainly looks like we got the wrong side of it, but maybe somebody night -- certainly I might light up a bit in the morning if it's not quite as windy because I'm out reasonably early or even later in the day I'll feel like I have more of a chance of catching up shots if the leaders are going to circle a bit.

Q. This work you are doing on your swing --
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I'm very comfortable with where it is at this stage. It's still a work-in-progress, and a distraction at times, yes.

Q. A good one, distraction?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Any distraction -- no, it's definitely a distraction at times on the course. But I'm very comfortable with it, and but obviously you can see the other side of it, as well, that you need to feel your ability to score and play golf.
I don't know when it's going to be complete but it will be finished in two weeks.

Q. Important for the tournament that you're around for the weekends?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I'm aware of that, too. I played with Robert Finnegan, the CEO of 3, in the Pro-Am, and I saw him yesterday evening and said how did you day go, and he was happy enough but I realised it would do him a bit of harm, at least make the cut and put in a bit of a show. It's all possible from there, especially fits going to be a tough weekend.

Q. You're back in the tournament --
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I actually felt a little bit disappointed that I didn't chip-and-putt 6 and didn't birdie the last sort of thing. I actually felt like I was moving forward, which was nice. Once I made the birdies on 2 and 3, I kind of felt -- certainly the birdie on 5, I felt very comfortable after that stage. I wasn't worried about making the putt, I was more worried about making the birdies. 6 and 7 and 9 were chances, and was certainly looking to look forward rather than hold onto my position, let's say.
Lee played well, he gave himself a lot of chances over 36 holes, and okay, a lot of them fell together today but the last nine holes or last ten holes for him, but to be honest, over 36 holes, 10-under is only an average return for the way he played.

Q. That bunker shot on the second seemed to kick you forward.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Again I hit a really good second shot on 2, and I was surprised I managed to draw it into the bunker. You know, it left me an awkward bunker shot but getting up-and-down certainly spurred me on.
Those sort of things that in fairness, that I haven't been doing over the last couple of weeks when I get slightly out of position, a player, a confident player moving forward will always recover in that situation where I have been taking 6 at times rather than making 4. So it was important to get up-and-down.

Q. On 18, did you say to yourself, oh, here we go again? You drove right.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Today? I hit a pretty decent tee shot on 18 I thought today. I was surprised, I thought I hit it on the fairway. Obviously just lay it up there with a hybrid. It was sitting fine anyway without the drop. It wasn't really -- I was disappointed not to birdie 18.

Q. That's the point I'm making.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Well, a wedge 50 feet and hit a good putt and a 15-footer the one before.
I knew there was chances. My mind is in a good place. I wasn't in any way -- all day, and yesterday, my head is in the right place. I wasn't in any shape or form not accepting, and you know, I knew there was opportunities going forward. So even though I didn't make the one on 17 or 18, I still felt there was chances to come.
So probably as you said, probably 2 and 3. If I had not birdied those, you're relying on birdieing those.

Q. Club on 5?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: 6-iron.

Q. The helicopter at the weekend, is it going to stay where it is? It's a bit of a risk in this weather, isn't it?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: The only issue is visibility. The wind or anything like that is not a problem but certainly there's an issue with visibility. We couldn't fly yesterday and today, so we'll wait and see. I'm staying at home anyway. Angels and Demons tonight.

Q. What is it that's the work-in-progress?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: My hit through impact keeps moving forward, so I'm trying to have it stabilise and support my impact.

Q. How long of a shot?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It means that at the moment, I tend to add lost coming through impact and it will mean that I'll be able to compress the ball a little bit better, which in turn will mean that I turn through a bit more, and basically just strike the ball better. Just stabilise me trying to do like I've gone from maybe hitting a seven-degree driver high to a week ago, I was hitting a nine and a half, and couldn't get it off the ground. That's how much it's changed. It's a bit more stability, move and then stabilise.

End of FastScripts




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