Golf doesn't owe Padraig Harrington a Major championship.But the mild-mannered Dubliner has vowed to grab one all the same.

All he asks for is one chance before he finishes his career.

The gutsy 30-year old Dubliner eased the pain of seven runner-up finishes with a season ending win in the Volvo Masters.

But despite winning over $2 million (dollars) in prize money around the world and jumping from 24th to 10th in the World Rankings, Harrington is hungry for more success and a Major championship would do nicely.

"The Majors? Well, I'm certainly capable of winning one but it's not something I expect to happen as a matter of course. Golf doesn't owe me a major but if I can play my best golf then I'll give myself a chance sooner or later.

"It's not something I think about all the time but let's put it this way. At the end of my career I'll be disappointed if I don't give myself the chance to win one or have a shot at winning one.

"All you can do is take your chances when they come up and undoubtedly I'll be disappointed if I don't get at least one chance."

Coach Bob Torrance has moulded Harrington's swing into the consistent, grooved swish that has helped this young Irishman win over $2 million in prize money around the world this season.

And the grizzled Scot has not doubts that this pupil can pass the biggest exam of all and win a Major soon.

"Nobody works harder. Padraig has everything it takes to win a big one and if he gets his chance he'll take it," said Torrance of his star student.

Tagged a nearly man after finishing as runner up in six European Tour events and losing the Cisco World Matchplay final to Ian Woosnam, Harrington never lost his perspective.

"I knew that second place is sometimes a very good result. At Fota Island, for example, I shot 64 in the final round to finish second in the Murphy's Irish Open. If I had finished fifth or sixth in all those events people would have been praising me for my consistency."

But it is precisely for his consistency that Harrington has been rewarded this season.

Ranked 106th in the world three seasons ago, he rose to 50th in 1999 before leaping to 24th at the end of 2000.

Now ranked 10th in the world after his most lucrative season ever, the World ranking system will mean that Harrington will drop to eleventh in the list on 31 December.

Like an amateur whose handicap drops from 14 to four, improvement will be tough from here on.

Harrington, however, knows where he's going.

"I could still be tenth this time next year, but a more competitive tenth. Or maybe in a year's time I'll be 12th or 14th in the world but I'll still feel as though I have improved my game.

"The new ranking system is more of a reflection of form more than before. It didn't suit me in the past but after nine weeks off I'll probably drop down a little early next year before I go up again."

"Improvement takes time and it's becoming more and more difficult to find things to work on with my swing. But I'll be over with Bob (Torrance) early in the New Year before I play my first tournament of 2002 in the Accenture Match Play at La Costa in late February. Then I'll play Malaysia."

Despite finishing second in the Order of Merit and the Ryder Cup points table, Harrington's 2 million dollar earnings left him in 20th place on the World Golf Earnings table.

But he has no plans to concentrate on the US Tour.

"I'll do the same in 2002 as I did in 2001. In fact I'll play one event fewer in the US next year," he said.

"My schedule is there to suit my game rather than my pocket. I'm not going to change that."

"We're all trying to play our own game. The gap between Tiger Woods and the rest of us is narrowing but it will take time to get close to him.

"He has raised the standards and players are responding to that. When he plays well he's going to win and to win consistently he's going to have to play well to beat all these guys."

If Harrington continues in the same vein, the Tiger had better watch out.

Harrington tips Smyth for Ryder skipper's job

Padraig Harrington is backing Des Smyth for the Ryder Cup captaincy at the K Club in 2006.

He said: "I'd love to see Des Smyth get the job. I think he'd make a great Ryder Cup captain. He gets on with the young guys and he's still out there winning which gets their respect.

"I don't think it matters that it's going to be in Ireland because would be a candidate for me if the 2006 Ryder Cup was set for the States or somewhere else in Europe.

"Des has served his time on Tour, he's played in the Ryder Cup and knows what it's all about. He's respected by the players too - and not just the Irish players but all the European players."

With Colin Montgomerie, Ian Woosnam and Bernard Langer also mentioned as possible skippers at the K Club, Harrington knows that Smyth has his work cut out.

"He's going to come up against some very high profile European guys that might be interested in the job and Des is the kind of guy that's not really interested in politics. That could be important. But from a player's point of view we all support him."

Fox and Browne can be stars

Hermitage pro Stephen Browne is Padraig Harrington's tip for the top.

The young Dubliner debuted in the South African Player's Championship earlier this month, finishing 11th.

Said Harrington: "Stephen Browne is a guy who could do well. He can shoot low scores on easy courses, which is not really the kind of player that Irish amateur golf tends to turn out. But it's vital on tour.

"Normally they are good at grinding out a 72 at a course like Portmarnock on a really windy day but not at shooting a 65 on an easy course.

"That's what you have to do on tour. You're going to find easier courses sometimes, courses that you will like.

"In the amateur days I remember playing so far back that you were falling off the back of the tee. You were playing a 600-yard par five off an upslope into the wind.

"On tour if the wind gets up like that they move the tee forward. It has happened at the European Open at the K Club.

"In the pro game it's all about making birdies and not being afraid of shooting low numbers. If a guy can play well in scratch cups rather than the championships he will do well."

But Harrington feels that Portmarnock amateur Noel Fox should also give the pro game a try.

"He shot 60 around Mullingar this year, which is phenomenal golf. Darren Clarke has shot a 60 but I haven't, and I'd say only handful of pros have shot a low round of better than 65.

"Noel should think about going pro. It's a given that you can shoot 72 but the guys that can shot low have an advantage as pros and if you don't try it you'll never know if you could have made it.

"Turning professional is a risk worth taking. You can set yourself up for life and even if you don't succeed, at least you can say that you tried."

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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