Harrington swing needs to bed in

US PGA defending champion Padraig Harrington is confident he is playing well enough to defend his title this week but says it will take another six months before he fully benefits from the swing changes that kept him out of contention for the first half of the year.

Three-time major winner Harrington put a season of struggle and eight missed cuts behind him on Sunday when he claimed second place behind Tiger Woods at the WGC-Bridgestone
Invitational in Ohio for his best finish on either the European or PGA Tours since winning the US PGA at Oakland Hills 12 months ago this week.

Speaking yesterday at Hazeltine National in Minnesota, where he will defend his US PGA title, the Dubliner did not credit the swing changes he has been working on since that victory for prompting the sudden change in form last week.

‘I think what you saw last week was more of a mind-set change,’ Harrington said. ‘About six weeks ago, I kind of figured out ultimately what the move I was looking for to fix the problem I had.

‘I haven't quite corrected it or done enough work in that period of time, but it's obviously put my mind at rest. And I'm focusing more on playing golf, and that's what you would have seen last week.

‘I think ultimately, the move, while it should improve my game as I go on for the rest of the year, I would still think it will be through the winter, next winter, before I start to really have it grooved in.

‘So it will be another six months.

‘But that doesn't mean that what I had before that won three majors, I'm quite capable of performing well enough without that move to win this week.'