Former Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington has all but written off suggestions he could appear in this year’s match as a player.
Last month, Sky Sports commentator and Golf Monthly columnist Wayne Riley suggested the 52-year-old could make a sensational Ryder Cup return as a player for the biennial match at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club following some excellent form including a T27 at the US Open.
Talking to Mirror Sport, though, the 2021 captain downplayed his chances of being selected as one of Luke Donald’s six captain’s picks.
He admitted: “Unfortunately I think I haven’t done enough. As I’m playing such a limited schedule on the regular tour, I needed to do more in the Scottish [Open] and The Open, those in particular. I needed to push forward, but I just think I haven’t played enough events to give myself a better [chance], I know there are a couple of events to go but even then.”
Harrington made the cut in both events, finishing T42 at the Genesis Scottish Open before a tie for 64th in the The Open at Royal Liverpool. However, he revealed that he wasn’t one of the players at a dinner hosted by Donald in Scotland for Ryder Cup hopefuls, which signalled he needed to perform even better in those events to force his way into the reckoning.
He continued: “I have talked to Luke about it [being selected], we have talked about it. But I think he had about 18 of his players at a dinner in Scotland and I was not there so I was always outside that fringe, so I needed to push on in Scotland and The Open.”
Despite the likelihood of being overlooked by Donald, Harrington who lost in a dramatic playoff to Alex Cejka in last week’s Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl, is still happy with his form. He explained: “Golfers are dreamers, well they should be dreamers anyway! I am always dreaming.I get up and practice and every time I go to the range it is an opportunity to look forward and hope.
Padraig Harrington captained the 2021 European Ryder Cup team
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“There is always a possibility of doing something. I am delighted I am playing well. I felt physically I was playing well the last couple of years,…
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