Padraig Harrington saluted national coach Howard Bennett this week and revealed: I owe him everything.

Englishman Bennett received an emotional send off from the Golfing Union of Ireland when he retired after 14 years on the job.

And world number ten Harrington took time out from his schedule to pay tribute to the man who nurtured him from a raw five handicapper at 16 years of age to three Walker Cup appearances.

Since he turned professional in 1995 Harrington has played in two Ryder Cups, won seven titles worldwide and over ¤4 million in prize money last season alone.

Four of those wins have come in the past 18 months but Harrington has never forgotten the man from Southport who moulded him into the top player he is today.

He said: "Not a day goes by that I don't play a round or hit and shot and not be reminded of Howard.

"He has played a big part in what I have done as a player. He'll never know how much I owe him- nor will Paul McGinley or all the other guys he coached.

"He often said that practice makes permanent and that is just one of many things I have taken with me. As a coach he worked harder than anyone else in the squad, as hard as any of us who played. He wanted to improve as a coach just as much as we did as players.

"He got us to look at sports psychology and to understand the importance of physical fitness. He helped you mould your character and the way you lived your life."

Initially coached by David Jones on his arrival in the Irish Boys squad, Bennett took over in 1988 and within a year, Harrington was down from a five handicap to scratch.

In fact, Harrington had a remarkable amateur record for Ireland. He played 114 times at all levels from Boys to Senior and won 72 percent of all his matches, including 92 percent of all singles played.

He puts it all down to the coaching offered by Bennett and the 'Three Ds' he always emphasised.

"Howard always spoke about the Three Ds of discipline, dedication and desire. As he retires he can be proud of the fact that he has been able to contribute to the betterment of the game," Harrington said.

"He wanted to get better as much as I wanted to get better. His enthusiasm was what made him such a great teacher."

Bennett will now pursue other golf projects in his native Southport as the GUI sets about replacing him with a full-time golf coach for the first time.

The new GUI headquarters at Carton House Golf Club will comprise offices, a museum, and a golf academy that is being designed with Harrington's expert advice.

And Bennett retires as a happy man having nurtured some of the most talented players this country has ever produced.

Future Ryder Cup stars such as Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley were only under his watchful eye for a short time, but Bennett also coached the likes of Richie Coughlan, Keith Nolan, Peter Lawrie, Michael Hoey and Graeme McDowell as well as the current crop.

"It really gets my adrenalin pumping to see these guys do well," he said. "Peter Lawrie showed last week in the Spanish Open that he is another player who can go far. Peter wants it really badly and he's prepared to put in the work to get the rewards.

"They all have great talent but maybe Darren Clarke had more gifts than most of them. But I'm not saying that he wasn't prepared to put in the work. But either way, to have three players on the Ryder Cup team is amazing for such a small country.

"The most important things it the grass roots and we need more Padraig Harringtons because the future of Irish golf is only as good as our junior golfers.

"Seeing Padraig come through has made it all worthwhile. I'd be very surprised if he or Darren or Paul doesn't win a major. They have a great chance and it gives me a buzz just to have been a small part of it."

If Harrington continues to improve, the biggest thrill of all is yet to come.

(Colin Montgomerie)
Colin Montgomerie has his heart set on the Ryder Cup captaincy in Ireland in 2006.

Despite his unbeaten run at the Belfry last year, he feels that he will be too old to continue playing in three years' time.

"I'd love to captain the side in Ireland," he said. "Hopefully I'll be of more help captaining the team than playing at number nine.

"If I'm still playing as well as I did last year then I'll have to delay it but Sam Torrance brought the age down because he felt he could liaise with the younger and the more senior players. Gone are the days of having a 60 year old captain.

"There are so many young players coming through. You think of Luke Donald and Paul Casey and Ian Poulter and Justin Rose, Graeme McDowell. And a few Swedes will appear from somewhere no doubt."

"The Ryder Cup won't be in Scotland until 2014 by which stage I'll be 51. Possibly a bit late. But in 2006 I'll be 43 and that's two years older than Seve was at Valderrama."

Montgomerie was at Carton House, just a couple of miles from the K Club, where he paid a flying visit to play nine holes on the new 'inland links' he has designed there.

Sitting alongside the existing Mark O'Meara layout which opened last year, the Colin Montgomerie Course will open for play later this summer at the spectacular 1,000 acre Maynooth estate.

Carton now boasts 36 holes since Mark O'Meara unveiled his first European project there last July.

And with Montgomerie the hot favourite to skipper Europe at the K Club in 2006, Carton are hoping that O'Meara will captain the Americans for a unique double.

Monty will be 40 in June but he gained great hope from 42 year old Fred Couples' win on the US Tour last week.

"I'm delighted for Fred. He introduced me to the belly putter and we also shared the same coach in Paul Marchand when we were at college. He has given all us oldies with bad backs some hope.

"My back is fine but I want to get back into the top ten in the world and if I can do that it means I will have won three times and done okay.

"I'll be back at the Belfry for the Benson and Hedges next week I'll be looking to win. The Ryder Cup has been good to me there and I was third in the B and H last year.

"Paul McGinley said that even the way I sat in the team room at the Ryder Cup suggested to him and the team that I was going to win. I wasn't aware of it but I was certainly relaxed."

(Des)

Des Smyth has dealt a major blow to the AIB Irish Seniors Open by opting to tough it out on the US Champions Tour.

Smyth, 50, will stay on in the US as he bids to make enough money to secure his card for next year.

The European Seniors Tour is desperate to convince Smyth to travel to Adare Manor where the tournament.

Radio advertisements are promoting the tournament as a chance to see the Big Three of Smyth, Eamonn Darcy and Christy O'Connor Jnr on the seniors circuit for the first time.

But the the Drogheda man is unlikely to change his mind after dropping to 20th on the money list with $243,755 after finishing a poor 50th in his last event, the Emerald Coast Classic.

"His priority this season is to make sure of his playing privileges for 2004," said his US representative Eoghan O'Connell. "He wants to finish in the top 31 on the money list and will stay out here as long as it takes.

"Things could change between now and the start of the AIB event on May 16 but it doesn't look likely."

Smyth is scheduled to play in the $1.6 million Bayer Advantage Celebrity Pro-Am in Kansas City. 

(Lawrie)
Peter Lawrie has earned a place amongst the top 100 Europeans in the World Rankings.

The Dubliner's runner up finish in Spain boosted him to 301st in the world - making him the the European number 83.

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© Brian Keogh 2003

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