Ask Butch Harmon about the prospects of an Irish player winning a major, and he positively froths at the mouth .
"I'll tell you, I like Padraig Harrington's and Darren Clarke's chances a lot at Shinnecock (the venue for this month's US Open), "I really do," insisted Harmon.
"Both of them have the game for that golf course. Both of them will feel at home because of the look of it, the way it plays."
In many ways, as Harmon knows, these are the most exciting of times for Irish golf in generations, with Harrington ranked number eight in the world and Clarke placed at 13th. As the two highest Europeans in the world rankings, the pair carry with them enormous hopes and expectations heading into the US Open and next month's British Open at Royal Troon.
As Clarke's coach, Harmon knows his potential more than anyone. "He's a unique animal," remarked Harmon of his pupil. "Darren has unbelievable talent, has worked hard and the quality of his golf shots has got so much better . . . but the biggest hurdle he has to overcome is being patient. He is not a patient person in life and he is not patient on the golf course, and to win a major you've got to have patience.
"It's the only thing that holds Darren back from winning a major. He has the talent to win a major on any type of course because he drives the ball well, hits it long, has got all the shots. He could win anything."
Yet, it is Harrington he perceives to be "one of the favourites" for Shinnecock. Harmon said: "He's the most improved player in the world, without a doubt. Six years ago nobody knew who he was, now he's top-10. Padraig has the better demeanour and mental strength to win a major than Darren."
However, Harmon was more than surprised that Harrington should change caddie at this juncture of the season. "The role of a caddie is the same as the role of as coach, and you're not going to be there forever," he remarked.
"I was surprised Padraig and Dave (McNeilly) should part ways . . . they were such a good team for such a long time.
"I do think it is very important that the caddie and the player be on the same wavelength, and that is more the caddie's responsibility than it is the player's responsibility because the player is always going to be right and the caddie has to understand that . . . but I believe a good caddie in a major championship, if he has worked with the same guy for a long time, knows his tendencies, knows when to kick him in the rear end, knows when to give him a hug, knows when to pump him up.
"When you change caddie, it's going to hurt in the majors. It won't hurt in the regular tournaments, but it will hurt in majors. You want to put yourself in position on Sunday on the back nine in a major and whatever is going to happen happens.
"What makes Tiger and Steve Williams such a good relationship is that they work well under pressure and Steve knows at any point in time he can stop Tiger and say, 'look the wind is different, you've got the wrong club', or 'you're not going to play the right shot'. I don't think a new caddie will have the nerve to do that because, if he is wrong, he is going to get blamed."
