# Padraig Harrington



## Homer (14 Aug 2010)

Any Padraig Harrington fans out there?

I'm a huge fan and have been following his career from the start.  Apart from being a genuinely nice guy, he's possibly the greatest Irish sports star ever.

I was watching the scores in the PGA Championship today and was gutted when he double bogeyed the last hole to miss the cut by one shot.  This seems likely to cost him an automatic Ryder Cup slot as he would have passed Miguel Angel Jiminez in the Ryder Cup rankings if he had made the cut.

He may still get a wild card selection, but I find myself wondering what it is that makes someone who is one shot inside the cut line take on a risky shot on his final hole, when he knows that making a bogey will still get him into the final two days.

Maybe that's what separates major winners from us mere mortals!


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## Chocks away (14 Aug 2010)

He seems a very likeable guy but his speech is slightly off putting (pun not intended).


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## Yorrick (15 Aug 2010)

" I'm a huge fan and have been following his career from the start. Apart from being a genuinely nice guy, he's possibly the greatest Irish sports star ever "

Ah give us a break.


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## Complainer (15 Aug 2010)

I'd be a bit more impressed with him if he advertised for the Laser clinic that he went to for his own eyes, instead of the one that pays for the heaviest advertising.


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## Homer (15 Aug 2010)

I'm obviously ploughing a lone furrow here.

I'm a bit surprised that no-one has anything positive to say about the guy.  

Even if you don't agree that he's one of the greatest Irish sports stars, you have to admit that he's been one of the most successful.  

And at least some people agree with me.  In a recent poll, he was voted the greatest Irish sportsperson of all time.  And I know a poll is only a poll.

Sometimes, the level of begrudgery on this site really depresses me.


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## dewdrop (15 Aug 2010)

Maybe you are depressed  because you were expecting a large number to agree with you


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## Homer (15 Aug 2010)

dewdrop said:


> Maybe you are depressed because you were expecting a large number to agree with you


 
Not really. But I was expecting at least one or two positive responses.

I know it's a bit foolish to get upset when a team/person we take an interest in gets beaten/does badly/fails to qualify. But a lot of people get fairly worked up about sports (remember Roy Keane in Saipan, Thierry Henri's handball, the Meath "goal that wasn't a goal" against Louth, etc. etc.) and I'm one of those fortunate/unfortunate/deluded people. I thought there might be one or two kindred spirits out there. 

I know there are websites where I could find loads of other sports fans and I'll know better than to post anything sports related on this site again. In fact, I'm not sure I'll post anything again on this site.

It used to be a great site. But in recent times, most threads tend to ramble all over the place and there's generally at least a couple of snide remarks thrown in along the way.


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## villa 1 (15 Aug 2010)

I'm a golfer myself and padraig harrington is a legend. His behaviour on and off the golf is impeccable. Look at the tantrums that sergo garcia got up to when he duffed a bunker shot recently. (spoilt brat) Padraig has won 3 majors and he is definetly irish!! Rory Macilroy came up through the irish juvenile ranks, was supported by the irish golfing union and has now said that he would represnt Enland in an olympic golfing event if it ever happens. Not very Irish.


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## levelpar (15 Aug 2010)

> Rory Macilroy came up through the irish juvenile ranks, was supported  by the irish golfing union and has now said that he would represnt  Enland in an olympic golfing event if it ever happens. Not very Irish.



Well, he is British


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## levelpar (15 Aug 2010)

> Any Padraig Harrington fans out there?



I used to be but methinks he thinks too much and suffers  paralysis from analysis


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## Homer (15 Aug 2010)

levelpar said:


> Well, he is British



Actually, the last time I checked, it was the United Kingdom of Great Britain *and* Northern Ireland.  

Therefore, he is a citizen of the United Kingdom, but he is *not* British.


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## Homer (15 Aug 2010)

levelpar said:


> I used to be but methinks he thinks too much and suffers  paralysis from analysis



Might be a bit of that going on right now.

Doesn't make me less of a fan, but it does cause considerable frustration.  Whenever I see him spending ages over a putt, I cringe knowing that he's likely to miss.

I think he'll come through it and will add further majors.


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## Homer (15 Aug 2010)

villa 1 said:


> padraig harrington is a legend. His behaviour on and off the golf is impeccable.



Well said.  I don't really understand why I got such a negative response to my original post.


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## MrMan (15 Aug 2010)

Homer said:


> Well said. I don't really understand why I got such a negative response to my original post.


 
Maybe because golf might not carry the same importance as other sports to posters here, or maybe because he has failed to live up to his own standards over recent years. 
My guess is that golf just hasn't been a sport for the ordinary man for long enough for it to really get under our skin, but it may well do in time with the continued success of Harrington and others.


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## Ash 22 (15 Aug 2010)

I think Padraig Harrington is great. He's a fantastic role model and a credit to the country. Always a smile on his face and never whinging even when things go wrong. We need more people like him.


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## Locke (16 Aug 2010)

Ash 22 said:


> I think Padraig Harrington is great. He's a fantastic role model and a credit to the country. Always a smile on his face and never whinging even when things go wrong. We need more people like him.


 
+1

He's a great role model.

The Flanders of Golf.

Just lacks that ruthless edge and conviction with his game.

But he is a really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, nice person.


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## Mpsox (16 Aug 2010)

levelpar said:


> I used to be but methinks he thinks too much and suffers paralysis from analysis


 
That's more or less what an American golf writer said on Radio1 sport yesterday, that he has overthought things


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## Sunny (16 Aug 2010)

villa 1 said:


> Rory Macilroy came up through the irish juvenile ranks, was supported by the irish golfing union and has now said that he would represnt Enland in an olympic golfing event if it ever happens. Not very Irish.


 
He would be doing well since England doesn't compete in the Olympics.


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## Bill Struth (16 Aug 2010)

Locke said:


> Just lacks that ruthless edge and conviction with his game.


 So that's what won him three majors!


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## michaelm (16 Aug 2010)

Homer said:


> I'm a huge fan and have been following his career from the start.  Apart from being a genuinely nice guy, he's possibly the greatest Irish sports star ever.


He seems to be a decent bloke.  I would tend to view Golf as a good walk spoiled and I detest the incessant broadcast media coverage.  Certainly not the greatest Irish sports star ever.


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## Firefly (16 Aug 2010)

Harrington is our most successful golfer and will be for some time yet. I think he didn't realise he was in a purple-patch when he won his 3 majors and felt he should have won everything he entered and told everybody the same. This has put pressure on him at a time when he should IMO have been celebrating his achievements. Graeme McDowall in comparision is delighted with his US Open and has not mentioned anything about future majors. 

What I really admire about Harrington is what he achieved through dogged determination to overcome a very average long game (his short game has always saved him). 

Agree with Complainer re the eye surgery though - he and McGinly both had their eyes done elsewhere.


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## PyritePete (16 Aug 2010)

Homer said:


> Well said. I don't really understand why I got such a negative response to my original post.


 
particularly the way when he marked his score card wrong and got thrown out of a competition. It was the manner in which he handled this that really set him apart from other alleged sport stars. Granted it was his own mistake but this is what made it better.

I also find his walk brilliant - you just know he's irish !!


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## MrMan (16 Aug 2010)

Just a quick point, I don't think the commercial aspects such as endorsements should come into a debate about how good a sportsman he is. That is business and nothing to do with his sporting prowess.


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## villa 1 (16 Aug 2010)

Well United Kingdom or Great Britain!!


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## Complainer (16 Aug 2010)

MrMan said:


> Just a quick point, I don't think the commercial aspects such as endorsements should come into a debate about how good a sportsman he is. That is business and nothing to do with his sporting prowess.


Come on, he's carrying a golf club, wearing his golfing gear, and talking about improving your golf game in the advert in question. 

Kinda hard to seperate that from his golf career.


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## TarfHead (16 Aug 2010)

PyritePete said:


> particularly the way when he marked his score card wrong and got thrown out of a competition.


 
+1

Character is defined by what you do when no-one is looking. Only Harrington knew that the ball had moved. He called it himself and, if for no other reason, deserves our admiration.


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## Bill Struth (16 Aug 2010)

TarfHead said:


> +1
> 
> Character is defined by what you do when no-one is looking. Only Harrington knew that the ball had moved. He called it himself and, if for no other reason, deserves our admiration.


Absolutely.

Padraig and his wife also do a lot of charity work for a charity I am involved with. 

He's an all round good egg. Pity there isn't more like him.


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## Green (16 Aug 2010)

Locke said:


> +1
> 
> Just lacks that ruthless edge and conviction with his game.


 
Begs the question, how did he win three majors?


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## Ash 22 (16 Aug 2010)

TarfHead said:


> +1
> 
> Character is defined by what you do when no-one is looking. Only Harrington knew that the ball had moved. He called it himself and, if for no other reason, deserves our admiration.


 
Well said. Honesty is a fantastic trait in an individual. Its great to be remembered for doing something like he did in that situation. We have too many instances of cheating across the board in sports, for some people its win at all costs.


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## ivuernis (16 Aug 2010)

YOBR said:


> Begs the question, how did he win three majors?



One could be cynical and say he won the '08 Open and PGA when his most likely challenger, Tiger Woods, was recuperating from knee surgery. 

Or, you could be critical and say outside of his 3 major victories his record in majors is not great (for a top ranked golfer), i.e. not too many top 10 finishes outside his 3 major wins compared to the likes of Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els who are consistently placed in the top 10 of majors. Although you could just as easily be critical of Mickelson and Els for not winning more majors with their talent.

At the end of the day Padraig Harrington is a 3-time major winner and there are not too many golfers past and present who can claim such a distinction!


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## MrMan (16 Aug 2010)

Complainer said:


> Come on, he's carrying a golf club, wearing his golfing gear, and talking about improving your golf game in the advert in question.
> 
> Kinda hard to seperate that from his golf career.



Yes he has the profile because of his sporting career, but it is just business when he is endorsing products and doesn't impact on his calibre as a sportsman.


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## Complainer (16 Aug 2010)

MrMan said:


> Yes he has the profile because of his sporting career, but it is just business when he is endorsing products and doesn't impact on his calibre as a sportsman.


To me, it impacts my opinion of his ethics. I'm interested to see others praising his honesty on the golf course. Yet the first round of adverts that he did had to be withdrawn, as these implied that he had got his eyes done with the crowd paying for for ads.


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## Ash 22 (16 Aug 2010)

Complainer I agree with you there, he should not have done those adverts.


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## zxcvbnm (16 Aug 2010)

Ash 22 said:


> Complainer I agree with you there, he should not have done those adverts.


 
Ah come one.

Do yee really believe that every other sports star out there uses whatever product they endorse when they are in their own time? (Lets exclude people whio must do this for contractual reasons)

See that lucozade sport ad with Colm Cooper?
Are you really that sure that he only took on that ad in the first place because he happens to think it's a great product?

Do yee really belive that all other sportsstars only endorse products they happen to use already ?

I presume you don't - in which case harrintom is no worse than any of these.
And lets face it - we'd all do it too if we got the chance.


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## PyritePete (16 Aug 2010)

MrMan said:


> Yes he has the profile because of his sporting career, but it is just business when he is endorsing products and doesn't impact on his calibre as a sportsman.


 
+1... I make a clear distinction between his sporting abilities and his business affairs. 

If we're talking calibre of sports stars, just take a look at the buffoons in the Premier League doing their post match interview with their sports drinks - in fairness they had to be told these were actual sports drinks


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## Complainer (16 Aug 2010)

zxcvbnm said:


> Ah come one.
> 
> Do yee really believe that every other sports star out there uses whatever product they endorse when they are in their own time? (Lets exclude people whio must do this for contractual reasons)
> 
> ...





PyritePete said:


> +1... I make a clear distinction between his sporting abilities and his business affairs.
> 
> If we're talking calibre of sports stars, just take a look at the buffoons in the Premier League doing their post match interview with their sports drinks - in fairness they had to be told these were actual sports drinks




Sorry - it seems that my expection of a little bit of honesty is just out of the question!

I do get very disappointed when I see people like Harrington or George Harrison selling out for a few extra quid for advertising. It's not as if they need the money. It's just pure greed. The least they could do is advertise something that they believe in.


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## PyritePete (16 Aug 2010)

Complainer said:


> Sorry - it seems that my expection of a little bit of honesty is just out of the question!
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## PaddyW (17 Aug 2010)

All this talk, especially Pete calling him Hookster reminded me of a joke.

A man goes on holiday to Portugal, meets the girl of his dreams and they quickly fall in love. Before they are due to return to Ireland, the man says he has a confession. "I eat sleep and drink golf, honey. There's every chance that I'll not have much time for you, if it gets in the way of my golf. Can you still love me, even knowing that?". 

"Well", she says.  "While we're being honest, I have a confession to make too. I'm a hooker". "I see" he says. "Well, it's probably because you're not keeping your wrists straight when you swing".... :O


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## Green (17 Aug 2010)

ivuernis said:


> At the end of the day Padraig Harrington is a 3-time major winner and there are not too many golfers past and present who can claim such a distinction!


 
I think that is the salient point...he is a three time major winner and hopefully there will be future major wins for him..


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## Locke (17 Aug 2010)

YOBR



> outside of his 3 major victories his record in majors is not great


 
What he said.


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## levelpar (17 Aug 2010)

> Therefore, he is a citizen of the United Kingdom, but he is *not* British.



According to some tv commentator I heard last week ,he referred to Graeme mcDowall and Rory Macilroy as the two British players. You can only laugh.


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## Firefly (17 Aug 2010)

zxcvbnm said:


> Ah come one.


 
I agree with Complainer re: P Harrington - eye surgery is a one-off operation (and a medical one at that) so I don't think he should be promoting a company he himeslf didn't use. As for Colm Cooper and Locozade that's a bit different - we all know that that's not probably the only fizzy drink he drinks.


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## PyritePete (17 Aug 2010)

Homer, I was watching the Greatest Irish Sportsperson on RTE last night and guess who was voted number 1...one Padraig Harrington. I know its a repeat programme but well worth mentioning again.


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## Green (17 Aug 2010)

Complainer said:


> I do get very disappointed when I see people like Harrington or George Harrison selling out for a few extra quid for advertising. It's not as if they need the money. It's just pure greed. The least they could do is advertise something that they believe in.


 
The majority of high profile sportsmen have management companies like IMG so I would imagine such deals are set up by them. I would also imagine that guys like Padraig dont have to move far to get companies who want to be associated with them either..


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## Complainer (17 Aug 2010)

YOBR said:


> The majority of high profile sportsmen have management companies like IMG so I would imagine such deals are set up by them.


The final responsibility still lies with the man himself. If IMG are getting him into bad deals, he needs to rewrite his contract with IMG.


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## Green (17 Aug 2010)

Complainer said:


> The final responsibility still lies with the man himself.


 
True, but is he really, or should he, going to swim against the tide? I have no problem with him advertising what ever he wishes


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## levelpar (17 Aug 2010)

> That's more or less what an American golf writer said on Radio1 sport yesterday, that he has overthought things



Delighted to read that an American golf writer agrees with my sentiments.  

I have thought, for some time now, that Harrington's never-ending  analysis of his golf swing has resulted in inconsistency off the tee. I believe that a clue to his problem might be his analytical mind which enabled  him to study a subject which for most of us is boring and that is Accountancy .  I understand that attention to detail is necessary.


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