Golf:Pádraig Harrington will unveil yet another new swing at the Austrian Golf Open this week following extensive work with new coach Pete Cowen.
The Dubliner has managed only one top-10 placing this season and is currently languishing down in 87th place in the Race to Dubai, with only the top 60 qualifying for the season-ending Dubai World Championships.
The three-time Major winner has been working with Cowen since he split with Bob Torrance at the British Open earlier this year, and the new swing will get its first tournament airing in the opening round at the Diamond Country Club tomorrow.
“My game has been up and down all year as everyone knows but I have seen a lot of positives recently,” said Harrington.
“I recently changed coach and have been making a few changes to my swing, which people will see this week. The main change that I think people will notice is that the backswing will be wider and shorter.
“It is starting to feel good and I am really looking forward to getting out and competing here this week to gauge where my game is at and how I play in tournament conditions with the changes.
“I tend to overdo things when I practice, so coming out here this week will help me to moderate things and see where I am with the golf swing in tournament play.”
Also in action this week will be Walker Cup heroes Tom Lewis and Paul Cutler from Portstewart, who celebrated their part in Europe’s victory over the USA by turning professional.
The Austrian tournament represents the first step as they bid to secure their European Tour cards for next season, and, for Lewis in particular, expectations are already high.
The 20-year-old from Welwyn Garden City led the Open in July after the first round and, although he could not maintain that level, he comfortably won the Silver Medal for the best amateur.
Lewis said: “I am very excited to get out there and see how I measure up. The Open was fantastic for me and I learnt a lot from the occasion.
“All the experiences gleaned from my amateur career will hopefully stand me in good stead as I try to earn my European Tour card for next year.”
The defending champion at the course on the outskirts of Vienna is Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara, who went into last year’s event on the back of nine consecutive missed cuts but shot a final-round 64 and then beat David Lynn in a play-off.
Lara said: “I was fighting to keep my card and had not played well for the whole season really so to go there and play so well, especially in the final round under a lot of pressure, was very special.
“I have thought about that victory a lot and obviously have a lot of great memories of the tournament.”
Lewis and Cutler will tee off together alongside Austrian amateur Manuel Trappel while Lara and Harrington are also together, and another notable group includes Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez and flamboyant American John Daly.
