Title chaser Padraig Harrington is hoping to continue his love affair with Augusta today.

The 30-year old Dubliner is a huge fan of the course, despite its difficulty.

Harrington has finished 19th and 27th in his first two appearances in the Masters ­unusually high finishes on a course that requires years of experience.

And he confessed that it's a course he would love to play for the rest of his days.

He said; "If I had to choose this would be one of the courses I'd choose to play for the rest of my life. The only thing is that I'd prefer to play it in a fourball where if you have a disaster you can have a laugh about it and laugh at your playing partners when they do the same thing."

Harrington should know all about disaster. Last year he ran up a triple bogey eight at the 13th but still finished the tournament on one under par.

"It's a very difficult course to play with a card in your hand, strokeplay wise," he admitted. "It's a punishing course and you can hit good shots out there and be punished for them.

"So it really tests much more your mental side, your patience and your discipline out there more than any other golf course because of the swirling winds.

"Any guy can stand up and hit a perfect shot at the 12th and go in the water or go in the bushes. So you are there for 72 holes and if you don't take one hole in isolation it's a fantastic place to play.

"That's what I like about it. It tests everything. It really does. It's probably more of a mental test or a short game test than any other golf course."

One of the best putters on the European Tour, Harrington has been amongst the best on Augusta's lightning fast greens since his debut in 2000.

Last year he had just 106 putts for the four rounds ­ just 26.4 a round ­ which put him ahead of Tiger Woods in the putting statistics.

But he is worried that his chipping is not quite at its usual level this year.

"It's very, very average. Very poor, in fact," he lamented. "Last week (in Houston) I had 16 chips and only got up and down five times. I had 17 wedge shots (into greens) and only got up and down three times.

"The technique is not bad, it's just that I am lacking confidence. It is something I have allowed to creep into my game over the years and it has just come to a head."

Harrington has only played five tournaments this season, although his eighth place finish in the Houston Open showed that he is not lacking in form.

The Dubliner feels that easing his way into the season will stand to him when things become more intense at the end of May.

"It's leaving a little bit to chance for the Masters," he said. "But it will definitely make me better for the other three majors. I didn't want to get to May and feel like I had played for the entire year and I feel this is the right way to do it."

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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