By PHILIP REID

‘Pretty darned good’ not enough

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON is sick, tired and bothered of people inquiring about the state of his game. “I try and avoid it, but from being around people there’s a huge, ‘what’s wrong with your game?’ . . . and, yet, my game is actually pretty darned good. I’m obviously not getting across the line, which would be nice if I did, but such is life.”

While the three-time major champion might get some back-up from statistics in arguing that his game is “pretty darned good” – he has had 14 top-10s in the past 12 months and is tied-12th in scoring average on the US Tour – the only way Harrington will rid himself of people wondering about the state of his game is if he wins. Which he hasn’t done since the 2008 US PGA.

As he conceded, “at the end of the day, a win would make things a lot easier. But it is one of those things. You can play well week-in and week-out without a win, and it seems worse than the guy who hasn’t played very well and then wins one event. As much as I need a win, I’m quite happy that the form is there.”

In the past, Harrington rated the Irish Open as the one he most wanted to win outside of the majors. “I still put it up there as one of the most important tournaments in my schedule for the year. The fact I have won it, it ticks a box. Now that I have won it, it is a nice event to come to and I really would love to play well.

“But I think I would prefer to win it this week for the sake of winning a tournament than for winning the Irish Open. If it was any tournament, I think I would be happy to win it this week.”

New loopers all in a good cause

RORY McILROY will have a new caddie on his bag for today’s pro-am, but his dedicated bagman JP Fitzgerald will also be right by his side as part of a fundraising effort by the Tour Players Foundation Inside the Ropes initiative.

An online auction where would-be caddies bid for the right to carry the bags of McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Shane Lowry raised almost €10,000. McIlroy’s bag went for €3,835, Clarke’s for €3,715 and Lowry’s €2,397.

Fitzgerald and Lowry’s caddie, Dermot Byrne, will guide the new loopers through the ropes, but the winning bidder for Clarke’s bag was unable to travel and will instead caddie for the Ryder Cup vice-captain at Gleneagles.

What odds on a play-off?

WILL THE trend continue? The Irish Open has the record for having the most number of play-offs on the European Tour. Shane Lowry’s extra-time win over Robert Rock last year was the 11th play-off in the Irish Open since the European Tour’s first season in 1972.

Clarke reeling back the years

DARREN CLARKE is one of a six players – along with Paul Lawrie, Paul McGinley, Peter O’Malley, Peter Baker and Paul Broadhurst – who played in the 1992 Irish Open when it was last staged at Killarney, when Nick Faldo won.

“I don’t really remember much about it, it was a long time,” said Clarke, who perhaps won’t like to be reminded that he missed the cut.

Still, his recent return to form – kick-started by a win in the JP McManus Pro-Am and followed with a runner-up finish in the Scottish Open – has the Ulsterman in fine fettle heading into the tournament even if he believes that technology hasn’t helped him in the slightest.

“I grew up using persimmon. There are not many of the guys out there even ever hit them. I probably hit it just as far then as I do now.”