Golf/European Open:It's not just the rain and the wind and the dark clouds overhead that bring the sense of déjà vu.

For Padraig Harrington, this is an all-too-familiar scenario. Yet again, he is the top-ranked player off the official world rankings in the field. Yet again, he carries an unusual weight of expectation. Yet again, the Irish weather is brutal, and he heads into the Smurfit Kappa European Open - which gets under way over the Smurfit Course at Straffan today - sensing many others will leave the locker-room feeling defeatist, convinced the course and conditions already rule out their chance of winning.

Not Harrington. Back in his amateur days, then Irish coach Howard Bennett taught him a valuable lesson that still holds true.

"Howard gave me a great bit of advice as a kid, that when you go out on a bad day weather-wise, 50 per cent of the field don't want to be there and 50 per cent of the 50 per cent that are left haven't got the ability or the capability to deal with it. So, you're only competing against 25 per cent of the field on a bad day," said Harrington, seeking to add this title to the Irish Open he won in May.

In the professional game, that percentage might be a bit higher, but the reality is that Harrington is one of those with serious ambitions for this title, which carries a top prize of €593,580.

As the world-ranked number 10 - five positions ahead of the US Open champion Angel Cabrera - Harrington is the favourite and, probably, deservedly so.

But while there are only six players from the top 50 of the world rankings playing here, the in-depth quality is reflected in the fact there are no fewer than 15 winners from this season's European Tour: Harrington, Cabrera, Niclas Fasth, Richard Green, Daniel Vancsik, Anton Haig, Mikko Ilonen, Peter Hedblom, Ariel Canete, Jose Manuel Lara, Ye Yang, Markus Brier, Raphael Jacquelin, Gonzalo Castano and Carl Suneson.

Yet, a favourite's optimism is something of which Harrington is a tad wary going into the tournament. Of the weather, he said, "In terms of competing, I've got to think it is in my favour. I won't mind putting on the raingear . . . and I've got to think it takes the majority of the field out and gives me a better chance."

But he added, "As much as I want to try and go out here to win, as much as there is expectation, the best way of me going about doing that is to ease up a little bit and relax.

"I have to play a little more conservatively than I've played this course in the past and to be patient. Just because I believe I can hit shots doesn't mean I have to take them on."

He expanded: "I don't play my best golf when I'm confident; I always play my best when I'm struggling a bit. I make good decisions when I'm not on form. I know when to play safe and when to attack. I tend to make the most of my opportunities."

With inclement weather forecast for the duration of the tournament, it is expected tee boxes will be pushed forward on a number of holes, considerably reducing the length on a course that measures 7,313 yards off the back tees. But after over six inches of rain in just over a week, it will still play long despite tees being advanced.

"You're still going to have to hit the ball a long way out there, so that's going to curtail some players; and you've got to be able to control it in the wind as well. So that's a number of factors that will take people out," insisted Harrington.

Indeed, while the European Open is Harrington's immediate priority, and he will play next week's Irish PGA at The European as a build-up on links ahead of the following week's British Open, Harrington intends to seriously look at his tour schedule in the future, believing he is playing far too many tournaments. Last year, he played 31; this year that figure may rise to 33.

In contrast, Tiger Woods will play only 21 or 22 times.

"The best player in the world plays 20, 22 events in the year," notes Harrington. "That fact alone answers a huge amount.

"If the best player is doing that and we're all trying to beat the best player, you've got to look at what they're doing and see if that suits - how does that work for you."

In talking the other night with Paul Hurrion, a biomechanics doctor and one of his personal trainers, Harrington came to the conclusion he needs to reduce the number of tournaments he plays. But he doesn't know yet how to achieve that aim.

He is aware that sponsors on the European Tour deserve to have the best players in their fields, and he is also committed to keeping both his European Tour and US Tour cards.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, just that I need to play less," he said.

Juggling his schedule is something that awaits - and will probably require the wisdom of Solomon - in the future.

For now, Harrington heads into the European Open keen to recapture the form he displayed in winning the Irish Open.

"I've got to bide my time," Harrington said of his game plan.

"The last couple of weeks, my form hasn't been good. I've been going out trying to win in the first round, just trying too hard."

Patience, it would seem, will be the key this week; not just for Harrington, but for whoever does eventually go on to win.