'If it wasn't the Open, I'd have pulled out', admits champion

PADRAIG Harrington, the defending Open champion, admitted he will be fearful of hitting his first shot out of the rough at Royal Birkdale after being advised by a physiotherapist yesterday not to play more than nine holes of a practice round. The Irishman damaged his right wrist at the weekend when he was hitting a club against an impact bag at his home in Dublin.

Had this not been the most significant tournament of the year for the major winner, he also conceded he would not be risking his fitness. "If it wasn't the Open, I would have pulled out," he reflected. "I would have gone for treatment and decided I wouldn't risk it. Because it's the Open, I'll make the effort."

Concerns surrounding the Harrington's fitness flared in Southport when the golfer was unable to hit shots out of the rough during nine holes of practice in the company of compatriot Damian McGrane and American Woody Austin. The winner at Carnoustie struck drives, iron shots and wedges out of bunkers, which prompted a tingling sensation, but opted to kick his ball out of the long grass, even the semi-rough, whenever he drifted off line.

Although he gave the thumbs-up to reporters after executing a variety of shots, Harrington left the ninth green to consult a physio billeted in an R&A hut who advised him that his right wrist had "weakened as expected" from hitting balls.

He was told not to attempt any more shots but re-joined his playing companions to stroll the back nine and assess the test. Harrington intends to play at least the inward half of the links today and is hopeful of completing all 18 holes. The golfer, who is taking anti-inflammatory tablets, likened the injury to a sprain.

He doesn't think hitting shots will cause any long-term damage and will consider taking stronger pain killers in order to ensure he defends the title he won in a play-off with Sergio Garcia in Angus.

"My wrist weakened as expected," he reported yesterday. "So I'll rest it again and just walk rather than play the back nine. I'm happy to get through the nine holes and I'll have more physio before trying to play 18 tomorrow, or at least the back nine. The biggest worry will be hitting out of the rough during the tournament in case it flares up again and causes me a problem. I will play one shot out of rough to check how the wrist is tomorrow. Yes, I will be fearful about hitting out of the rough and was anxious about the first couple today."

Dale Richardson, Harrington's physio, revealed how the player was "very concerned" when he first got in contact about the injury. However, the Australian reported the injury was now responding nicely to treatment.

Earlier, Harrington had explained how he'd been hitting a club against an impact bag on Saturday evening after winning the Irish PGA Championship when he hurt the wrist.

He was unable to hit any shots on either Sunday or Monday. "I couldn't support the weight of the club with my wrist on Sunday," he reported.

"I can do that now. I've been having treatment and I'm strongly hopeful I will be able to play. The only issue would be if I re-injured it in the rough. That's what's a little bit scary."

Harrington has admitted he would change nothing about the build-up for Birkdale compared to how he prepared at Carnoustie. He quipped that he would even wear the same socks if only he could remember which ones he put on a year ago. By a twist of fate, the golfer suffered an injury before last year's tournament which prevented him practising fully.

"It's not the end of the world," he reasoned. "Birkdale is a good, straightforward course. It would not be the worst course in the world to just have one practice round. Mentally I'm quite positive, just a bit worried about it being weak and flaring up where I can't continue to play. I think I will be teeing it up with strapping (on it], but who knows."

The only real discomfort the player felt during his practice was when he pushed tee pegs into the ground. Otherwise, he did enough to soothe fears the injury might be serious enough to make him pull out of the tournament.

As things stand, Harrington is determined to play. What can't be predicted, however, are the consequences of hitting a shot from a bad lie. And he knows there will be numerous occasions during a 72-hole event when he will stray from the straight and narrow.

The champion remains poised to start the 137th Open, but there are obvious question marks against his fitness to finish.