Padraig Harrington "absolutely believes" he can win a fourth major after a return to form in 2015.
The Dubliner won his first PGA Tour event in seven years at the Honda Classic in March before being in contention until the final round of The Open in July.
"I absolutely believe I can win another major," he told RTÉ Sport at the Web Summit in Dublin last week.
"Winning the Honda Classic and leading the Open after 59 holes... I believe in that sense that I'm good enough to win another major. I also believe in fate as well, that you always get thrown another one.
"You have to create your own reality - you have to keep lying to yourself and believe those lies!"
As to why he has struggled to recapture the form that saw him win The Open in 2007 and 2008 and the USPGA in 08, Harrington suggests he may have tried too hard to get back into the frame of mind that helped him scale those summits.
"When I won my three majors I knew it was because of a great mental performance, and I think I put myself under too much pressure afterwards to perform as well mentally," he said.
"Not to live up to what I'd done but to live up to the mental side of what I'd done. I got myself in a great place mentally during those tournaments and I think I got frustrated and disappointed with myself when I didn't focus as well as I would have during those tournaments.
"Maybe I just put myself up there on a pedestal and could never focus like that.
"You think you knew what you were doing and that you never made a mistake but I know I made plenty of mistakes during those major wins. But when you've peaked like that you tend to try and live up to it. For a lot of people that’s physically but for me [it's] mentally."
Harrington is well aware of his reputation for thinking too much about his game but says it's a battle almost all golfers face.
"There are maybe 5% of golfers who are wholly instinctive. Seve Ballesteros in his heyday, Sandy Lyle. They just put the ball on the ground and hit it," he said.
"The problem is, once you open that can of worms and start thinking about it, it's very hard to get the lid back on it.
"If I could get away with having a lobotomy I would but that’s what got me there"
"94.9% of players are somewhere in the middle where they're still a bit instinctive and still a bit thinking about it.
"The week they win they're going with it, the weeks they're not doing well, they’re thinking too much about it.
"I say 0.1%, but it’s probably less, get to where they think but it doesn't get in the way. Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, guys like that, though it doesn't last forever, could actually manage to think about it but not let that disturb their performance.
"Ultimately, we'd all love to be able to shut our brains off. If I could go out on the golf course tomorrow and not have a single thought, I’d be a better player.
"It [overthinking] is a weakness but that's who I am. If I could get away with having a lobotomy I would but that’s what got me there, that’s what won me my majors."
The tense nature of the Honda victory at Palm Beach was particularly satisfying for the 44-year-old, after sinking a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th green that set up a play-off victory over Daniel Berger.
"What was big about the Honda Classic, and again I won in Indonesia last year, was that when I've got myself in contention I've performed," he said.
"I'm lacking getting myself into that zone. I’m trying hard but I’m not getting there. When I've got there, I've performed. I've played better golf down the stretch when I was under pressure than I've played than at any stage.
"That gives me great hope of winning again. I'm not getting myself in contention as often but it would be tough if everytime I did I failed.
"Whereas now I' thinking ‘wow, all I have to do is get myself in there. I'm still good enough'.
"I'm excited about that, that I can win the pressure is on. A play-off, coming down the stretch in that group, making four birdies in a row, making the putts when I had to, getting out of my own way."
Harrington admits that his best performances came in the bigger tournaments last year and says that he actually feels less pressure at major tournaments than regular PGA Tour events.
!At regular events I feel under more pressure in the sense that it's like a charge. It’s a sprint," he reflected. "Whereas at a major, half the field can't win it, and you can be patient. That suits me more.
"It’s tough on the US Tour, there are a lot of good players and there’s that feeling that you've got to go all guns out from the word go. If you're not four under par after nine holes, you feel like you’re losing ground.
"At a major, and the Open was a good example, I just felt very comfortable, played very average and I was leading.
"I wish every tournament was a major"
"I wish every tournament was a major. I know I missed the cut at the PGA but if you followed me round for 36 holes I was in a beautiful place mentally.
"I definitely find it harder to get that in regular events. At a major, the only thing that matters is that week, but I go to a lot of events where I’m thinking ‘what does this mean going forward?’ and I can get a little bit more frustrated and harder on myself.
"Because not only do I want to perform well I want to play well but at a major I don’t care how I play I just care how I perform.
"My golf would be a lot easier and a lot better if every week was a major but that’s not the way it is."
Harrington is ranked 128th in the world, making him a long shot for next year's Europe Ryder Cup or Ireland Olympic teams but he says that that in itself eases thoughts of making the team.
"I'll concentrate on all four Majors. I pretty much need to win one of those to get into the Olympics and Ryder Cup team.
"As much as I want to be in them, they are at the back of my mind now because I can't get into the team unless I do something spectacular."
