Padraig Harrington can boost his earnings for 2003 to over € 4 million euro – without having to win this week’s EMC2 World Cup with Paul McGinley in Mexico.

The World Cup winners will split a cheque for a cool $1 million US dollars but Harrington can break the € 4 million euro mark if they finish in the top three.

With his win in the Target World Challenge on Sunday Harrington has won three times this year and been second just once.

He also played a vital role in Europe’s Ryder Cup win – beating Mark Calcavecchia by five and four in the single to claim his second point of the match.

Since he turned professional in 1995, Harrington has improved his Order of Merit position every year, bar one, and risen to eighth in Official Golf World Rankings.

He has been second 22 times and won seven times in all with four of those wins coming in the past 13 months – the 2001 Volvo Masters, the 2002 Dunhill Links Trophy, the BMW Asian Open in Taiwan last month and last weekend’s win in California.

But finishing second is not something that worries Harrington unduly.

He has said: “If there is a saving grace in finishing second it is that I am learning, learning. So long as I am learning, I am OK. If you put your neck on the block often you will suffer failure often. I would rather be consistently in there than one of those erratic players who come from nowhere to win tournaments every so often.

“Anyway, results are not how I judge myself. I judge myself on how things are developing and how much I think I can develop. I have learnt more about the mental side of the game this year than any before.

“Now I have improved my swing I need to work on my head to get the results. I work with Bob Rotella, a sports psychologist and worked with Jos Vanstiphout, the mind coach, for one year. Jos helped me a hell of a lot. They are very different. Jos does some things for you whereas Bob tells me what to do and makes me get out there and do it. I like that. If I do it, I understand it and am the better for it.

“I read one of Bob’s books each week. They are like homework for me, full of wisdom. Accept the shot after you have hit it. If I hit a bad shot I rarely curse because that means I am not accepting it. If I miss a putt, I smile.

“Controlling your mind is the hardest part of the game. You can have a good bounce down the first hole of a tournament or hole a 20-footer and think you’re going to have a good week. Bob Torrance says the difference between the good and the great golfer is this: the good golfer will play well when he is feeling well and comfortable but the great golfer will play well when he wants to.”

TOTAL EARNINGS in EURO 3,836,158

Target World Challenge 1st - € 990,117
BMW Asian Open 1st - € 247,967
Volvo Masters Andalucia T36th - € 22,584
Italian Open T6th - € 30,910
Telefonica Open de Madrid T7th - €36,120
Cisco World Match Play Championship: T5th € 102,935
dunhill links championship 1st (play-off) - € 818,662
WGC American Express Championship 21st - € 59,529
Linde German Masters T12th - € 49,950
BMW International T17th - € 23,280
WGC - NEC Invitational T47th - € 33,092
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP T17th € 74,120
The TNT Open T3rd - € 101,340
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP T5th -€ 219,102
Smurfit European Open T2nd - € 205,805
Murphy's Irish Open T6th - € 38,400
U S OPEN T8th - € 146,755
Victor Chandler British Masters T11th - € 30,187
Volvo PGA Championship - CUT
Deutsche Bank - SAP Open TPC T12th - €42,727
Benson & Hedges Int Open T3rd - €91,252
THE MASTERS T5th - €241,681
BellSouth Classic T8th – € 105,340
The PLAYERS Championship T22th – € 55,150
Dubai Desert Classic T20th - € 18,603
Carlsberg Malaysian Open T11th - €19,050
WGC Accenture M-Play Ch'p T33rd - € 31,500

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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