Super confident Padraig Harrington wants to put the frighteners on his Major rivals next year - by winning in the US.

Rated the best player in the world without a major, Harrington sees a PGA Tour win in 2005 as an ideal stepping stone to major glory.

He rapped: “I want to go over there and win so that the next time I get into contention in a major there won't be any doubt about whether I can hang in there.

“You don't want somebody doubting whether you are going to hold on to your lead or win the next day.

“The best thing is to win over there and just get the job done. It is good that everybody believes you are going to win because it rubs off a bit.”

A European has not won a major since Paul Lawrie took the Open at Carnoustie in 1999.

But Harrington reckons that European golf is on the cusp of another golden age and he wants to be up there leading the major charge.

He explained: “Six months ago, when I dropped out of the top ten for a while there was woe and consternation. They said, ‘No European golfer in the top ten in the world, shock horror’. But we are coming strong again.

“There are a lot of good strong players in Europe. The best young players in the world are European and while we drifted away in the late 90s we are coming strong again.

“I would definitely see a euro winning major. But the top five guys are very strong, aren't they? They are going to cut up a lot of majors.”

With Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Phil Mickelson ahead of him in the world rankings, Harrington knows it won’t be easy to get in on the Major action.

But he believes he can break into the world’s top five by turing some of those frustrating second place finishes into wins.

He said: “One major win would jump me into the top five. All I have to do is turn a few second places into a first. Every time you finish second you are only getting half the points the winner gets.

“The second places don’t really bother me. I have got used to them I don't think about them too much at all.

“But I would be disappointed with the last two weeks in Hong Kong and Tiger’s event. Both of those I had good run at it and had good chances there.

“I could have won the Tiger event and I feel I should have won in Hong Kong but I will get a run when I will win all round me. Everything that has happened to be over the years will turn around and I know that will happen.

“There will be a period when I can do no wrong. My game is improving and it is a question of putting it all together. Everything is going in the right direction.”

Despite his optimism, Harrington is unwilling to admit that a major title his his ultimate goal in 2005.

He said: “It would be obvious to believe that that is what I am thinking about, but I am not going to say that.

“It doesn't have to happen now. Lots of good players have not won Majors but contended regularly. Monty got to two playoffs for Majors - an unbelievable player and should have gone on to win a major.

“I have enjoyed the Majors I have played in over there and playing on the tour there next year will help. If I can win more regular events in the States, it makes it more familiar, not something out of the ordinary.”

As for the best player not to have won a Major tag, Harrington admits that he is flattered just to be considered a possible candidate for golf’s most annoying ‘title’.

He pointed out that when he played in the 1991 Walker Cup at Portmarnock, Phil Mickelson was the superstar on the US team but did not win a major until this year’s Masters.

He explained: “ I was delighted for Phil Mickelson. He got a lot of stick for not winning a major. But he was always going to be the superstar.

“Back in 1991, would you have put me and Phil Mickelson in the same category? Would you have thought in March of 2004 that you could align myself and Phil and the No1 and 2 that haven't won major? By just including me in that category shows how far I have come.

"I'm not saying that I am happy or content with that. But I am not going to have it as a burden on me that I haven’t won a major, or I am the best player who hasn’t won a major.

“The fact that Vijay was ranked ninth in the world and I was eighth just three years ago is encouraging. He deserves to be number one but it looks like Tiger and Ernie will put a bit of pressure on him next year. For me it is a question of trying to bridge the gap with the top five.”

Despite two wins and six second place finishes this season, Harrington rates his year as “erratic”.

But he admitted that he is happier than ever with his swing and can’t wait for the month of March, when he ends his nine-week winter break.

His runner up finish to Tiger Woods in last week’s Target World Challenge has set tongues wagging in the US and marked him out as a a man to watch in the 2005 majors.

And while Harrington failed to shine in this year’s big four events, he senses that he is closer than ever to achieving his lifelong ambition.

He added: “It been an up and down year with not enough wins. I had 13 top tens in the year but 12 of them were top fives.

“So I got into the top five or finished down the field, whereas last year I was rarely outside the top 20. This year I either played well or I didn't.

“It has been a very good learning year because of more of the downs. You learn more from the bad weeks or a bad run. But I have come out of the year learning more about my golf swing that I ever have.

“I am much more on top of that. I am in a better position with that to move forward and I definitely think I am in position now to go into tournament in playing mode rather than practising. I’m very keen to start the season again even though I am tired.”