Pete Cowen column November 2016
I’ve been saying for quite a while that Padraig Harrington has been hitting it well enough to win again and for one reason and another it’s just not happened for him. Standing on the driving range with Mike Walker at the Victoria Clube de Golfe on the Monday before the Portugal Masters we both knew this event could be his.
I’ve stood on the range now for many years working with the Tour players and I’ve seen it all. But you get a feeling now and again, one you just can’t explain, and Padraig’s win was precisely one of those moments.
After winning, the 137th Open Championship and the US PGA Championship back in 2008, many might believe that he’s taken his foot off the gas. You couldn’t be further from the truth if you tried.
Padraig, still to this day, is one of the hardest working professionals on Tour and it’s not a rare sight to see him hitting balls on the range long after the light has gone and the other guys have gone back to the hotel.
Happy Gilmore Style
This scene was no different in Portugal. We were working late on the range with just a couple of spectators left watching as I had Padraig doing a drill that had them laughing. I got Padraig swinging with the clubface wide open and stepping into it Happy Gilmore style.
This wasn’t a drill designed to entertain the two-person crowd but a serious routine to get Padraig to enable his right side to control the initial direction of the ball – and it worked!
The course was also perfect for Padraig that week. He could afford to be a little wayward from the tee but, ironically, he was accurate all week until the final hole. He knew what was needed to win and his experience in getting over the finish line took over.
The huge positive for Padraig that week wasn’t just the win but just how secure he was over those tricky four foot putts. He’s had the yips for the past three years and to find a way to overcome that mental barrier is a huge relief and testament to his strength of character.
He’s proved himself in the game to a point where many players would have eased off but Padraig has always had the belief he could win and has never taken his foot of the gas when it comes to putting in the hard hours.
Now he’s got the bit between his teeth with this victory so don’t be surprised if there’s more to come. He’s not going to be in the running for Ryder Cup Captain as his goal is to play his way onto the 2018 Ryder Cup team. That pretty much sums up the character and drive behind Padraig and what this game means to him.
Future World Number One
One of my other players, Thomas Pieters (above), certainly made his mark on the Ryder Cup this year and looked very confortable in that environment. For me, Thomas is a future World Number One. It’s not a matter of if he will make to the top spot but more a question of when he will make it. This lad has got it all and when Rory McIlroy asked to be paired with him at Hazeltine and both players were happy to play the one ball, well it was a case of greatness joins greatness.
Another one of my players who has enjoyed a great 2016 is Danny Willett. He recently withdrew from the British Masters due to tightness in his back. When Danny starts to swing poorly his back is normally the culprit, so looking at his run-in to the end of the season it was a sensible precautionary decision.
Since he got back home to Sheffield he’s been on on our driving range in Rotherham and he’s looking good. So fingers crossed he can carry this all the way to the DP World Tour Championship.
Last year my winner’s tip, Henrik Stenson, was way off the mark. Henrik was just out on his feet. Jumeirah Golf Estate’s Earth course hands the advantage to any player who hits it long with a high ball flight, as they can take many of the traps out of play.
With this in mind Pieters and McIlroy have to be the favourites. Between Mike Walker and myself we work with 20% of the field so, hopefully, we will have a good week.
It will be interesting to see how Henrik comes back into form after his break and it will be equally interesting to see how Lee Westwood performs. All Lee needs to do is get it going on the greens – and he could be right up there on Sunday.
