Sure, they selfishly fight over every shot; but, at the end, there's time for joviality. Six months on from Carnoustie, career defining moments for the pair of them, Pádraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy traded good-humoured banter outside the recorder's hut after mirror-image scores of 68 in yesterday's final round of the Abu Dhabi championship had them locked together in tied-11th position.
Just a matter of metres away, Harrington's four-year-old son, Paddy, occupied his time between drawing a picture for his dad and being mesmerised by the impromptu magic act performed by the European Tour's statistician. All round, the mood in the camps was one of contentment, with Harrington not the least concerned about any long-term effects of the old neck injury that had flared up during the tournament.
Harrington, playing in the group ahead of the Ulster prodigy, was first to sign for a 68 to finish his 2008 tournament debut on 281, seven-under. Some minutes later, it was McIlroy's turn to scribble his signature to a 68 and head on to his next tournament, in the Qatar Masters this week, in confident mood.
For Harrington, though, it will be a two-week break before heading over to the United States early to prepare for the Pebble Beach pro-am, a tournament that will start a run Statestide that also takes in the LA Open and the Accenture Matchplay, a WGC event that also counts to the European Tour.
"The neck probably needs a little rest at this stage, but it wasn't impeding me today. But I'm not concerned. As I said to you, I'm in the best balance I've ever been so we kind of opened up a can of worms (by getting physio treatment to manipulate the C5 area on Friday). Maybe if we'd been a little gentler, we wouldn't have had as much problems. In two days' time, I don't envisage it being there," said Harrington.
"I have a disc bulge in C5 and it is something I will always have. I do a huge amount of work on my shoulder stability and strength so that when this problem recurs, as it will, then it won't take me two or three weeks to recover from it as it did a few years ago.
"The balance is good everywhere else and the strength is good, so it doesn't break down in a chain. Once or twice a year it goes, and I just have to hope it doesn't happen in a big week. I'd say 75 per cent of my gym work is based on my shoulder stability to protect my neck."
Yesterday, there was much to admire about Harrington's play. Compared to Friday, when he required on-course treatment from his physio Dale Richardson, Harrington was able to push on down the stretch in search of a top-10 finish. He failed, narrowly.
"I was pushing hard to get a top-10 because I haven't been outside the top-10 since September. I didn't play great, but putted better. I hit a few silly shots here and there each day but that would be expected in the first week back and overall it's been a good week."
Likewise, McIlroy left Abu Dhabi with a spring in his step. For a time, it looked like the 18-year-old would set the place alight after three birdies in his opening five holes. But, after registering another birdie on the eighth, he came home with 10 straight pars.
"I think it is the best I've hit it, ever, to be honest. I just felt as if the greens were pretty difficult to read and I was very indecisive with a few putts. That probably cost me at the end of the day, but I'm happy with the way I'm playing," said McIlroy.
