ORLANDO – As a keen observer of the golf swing, Padraig Harrington, like so many other lovers of golf, tuned in to watch The Match last Saturday expressly to see what Tiger Woods looked like in his first public performance since the British Open in July. Suffice it to say, Harrington came away impressed.
“You never doubt Tiger’s mental ability, and it’s always one where is he able to come back, and you don’t want to give up,” Harrington said on Thursday during a press conference ahead of the PNC Championship, where he will compete alongside son Paddy in the 20-team event. “He looked better physically at that Match and the speed…I’m interested in that stuff. You know, you’d never run Tiger off, but I actually think he might be even in a better place than I had thought.”
To hear Harrington tell it, Woods, who played just nine competitive rounds this year and will turn 47 later this month, showed him enough in The Match, where he partnered with Rory McIlroy and lost to Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, to believe there are better days ahead for the 15-time major winner, especially at the majors.
“I’m not saying he ‘could be,’ I actually believe he will be a danger,” Harrington said. “I think he’ll win another major. The way I looked at him, I genuinely think he will be in contention.”
Harrington, who has trained obsessively to improve his ball speed and hit 193 mph this year while leading PGA Tour Champions in driving distance, marveled at Tiger’s numbers on Saturday, which hit 178 mph on two occasions at The Match.
Tiger Woods of the United States plays his second shot on the seventh hole during The Match 7 at Pelican at Pelican Golf Club on December 10, 2022 in Belleair, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for The Match)
“I want to go and see it in person and see,” said Harrington when asked if he would go watch Tiger on the range at the PNC. “I think he needs a little bit of physicality as in that ball speed. It’s just tough if you go out there against these young guys, there’s so many of them that they’re hitting it and they’re overpowering golf courses. If you’re not somewhat able to keep up there, initially, I don’t think I would – you’re not doubting Tiger being good down the last nine holes, but the little bit of extra speed will help him in the first 63 holes. That last nine holes, you know, who would want to be coming down the stretch against Tiger, all these young guys, you…
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