Padraig Harrington’s belief that his game has turned a corner was vindicated in spectacular fashion at the Indonesia Open on Sunday and the three-time major winner heads into 2015 with a renewed sense of optimism.
Harrington, who saw off nearest pursuer Thanyakon Khrongpha of Thailand by two shots to win his first full-field tournament since landing the 2010 Johor Open, soared from number 385 in the world rankings to 260 after his victory in the Asian Tour event.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, the 43-year-old said: “I’m thrilled to have won.
“It’s nice to win again and for sure winning is a good habit. I’m enjoying this win, but I’m not thinking any more into it than it’s a win and it’s always nice to get wins. They’re very important.”
While Harrington has claimed far more prestigious titles during his illustrious career, the Dubliner was unequivocal when asked to compare winning a low-profile tournament to finishing in a prominent position in a European Tour or PGA Tour event.
"I’m working very strong on my mental side and last week was definitely a victory for my mental game."
“Winning is winning,” said Harrington. "It’s much harder to win a tournament. You can breeze into the top 10 in an event, you can sometimes breeze into the top five and never, ever be tested, never put yourself on the line.
“The contention bit is far more important than anything else. Being in the hunt [to win] is the key. I have finished outside the top 10 in tournaments where I’ve been in contention and I would consider them great weeks.
“It’s not always the position you finish, it’s the feelings that you have finishing in the tournament, and clearly you’re far better off winning a tournament than your are not competing, but finishing fifth or sixth.”
Asked to evaluate the current state of his play, Harrington said: “I’ve been happy with my game full stop. My putting has come back. I’m working very strong on my mental side and last week was definitely a victory for my mental game. I would be confident going into next year based on that.
“I’ve learned from past experiences. When you win - it doesn’t happen as often as you think it’s going to happen - just to enjoy the win and not read as much into it as people want you to think. No, I’m just here to enjoy it and 20015 will actually look after itself.”
While Harrington’s prolonged spell in the doldrums has seen his ranking plummet from a high of number three in the world, his popularity with Irish fans has remained almost undiminished. The public’s backing in recent seasons has provided him with a welcome fillip during testing times as he admitted: “I’m always encouraged by the support I get.
“I think my own form over the last couple of years has clearly dipped and probably the most encouraging part of that dip is the support I still get.
“As I have dropped down the rankings you miss out on tournaments, you miss out on this, that and the other. There are low points to that. I would say the high point is always the support I get.”
Returning to the subject of his Asian success ahead of a long Christmas break, Harrington added: “Winning is great. The fact I have seven weeks off, it does come at a great time, that I can - I won’t say relax - but certainly enjoy the seven weeks more based on the fact you’ve just got a win.
“I’m very encouraged that when I get in contention - I just don’t get in contention as often as I used to - I seem to have a better ability in that situation.
“So I have learned over the years and I did a really good job in the last round yesterday because I definitely stuttered quite a bit and it was a lot of hard work mentally to keep myself in it, and when the opportunity came, I took it.”
A place on the Ireland team at Rio 2016 has been a goal for the Dubliner since the sport was reinstated on the Olympic roster, but Harrington is under no illusion as to the magnitude of that task.
“I need 200 world ranking points on top of what I’ve got, which is basically equivalent of four big wins or two major wins, something like that. I need a lot of points.
“This win does encourage me to the extent of I went out there with a purpose, working on certain things, and they certainly delivered and that does encourage me.
“I would have been quite optimistic.
“Since my putting has changed around three months ago, I’m much more optimistic about my game.
“I see how my putting has changed around. So not alone have I got the benefit of putting better, and I really did putt a lot better under pressure last week, I also have the fact that I turned it around and know how I turned it around to bring it into my long game.”
“After my major wins that’s really what hurt me ... my intolerance to not being able to focus as well as I thought I should be able to focus."
Distance off the tee isn’t something Harrington is concerned about.
“I still hit it plenty long enough,” he insisted. “That’s encouraging, you gotta keep that up in this game, it’s a big part of the modern game.
“With the putting back, that’s a huge thing. Chipping probably hasn’t quite been there. But I see big light in the end of the tunnel with my mental game.
“After my major wins that’s really what hurt me the next couple of years; my intolerance to not being able to focus as well as I thought I should be able to focus.
“I went out there last week and was a little bit more accepting of it.”
In the wake of his Indonesia Open win, Harrington revealed that his unwavering quest for perfection could means his Christmas break proves something of a misnomer.
Harrington told one reporter in Jakarta: "I have 49 days off, seven weeks, and I reckon my goal is to make, let me get this right, 100,000 swings, 2000 swings a day. I look forward to seeing if I can do it."
The 14-time European Tour winner bristled slightly when asked if such an exacting practice schedule was necessary, saying: “No. But that wouldn’t be me.
“I enjoy doing it. What else would I do for seven weeks?
“I can’t spend the seven weeks in the gym. So I’ve got to do something else. To be honest, I’d be absolutely thoroughly bored if I didn’t have something to do.”
An evening with Padraig Harrington at the Gaiety Theatre on 20 and 21 January - with a matinee show snuck in on the second day for good measure - will afford fans the opportunity to gain further insights into one of Ireland’s greatest ever sportsmen.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the ISPCC and the Padraig Harrington Charitable Foundation.
