‘I’m not aware of it’: Padraig Harrington makes bold claim about aging

At 51 years younger, Padraig Harrington was the oldest player to make the minimize at this week’s Open Championship.

However Harrington had no thought till a reporter instructed him so after his third spherical.

“The sweetness is that I’m not conscious of it,” Harrington mentioned.

Harrington has had considerably of a second wind in his profession over the previous two years. He’s seventh on the PGA Tour Champions Charles Schwab Cup standings after amassing one win on the over-50 circuit, however that doesn’t start to inform the total story.

Whereas his efficiency on the senior tour is down from 2022, when he gained 4 instances in his first full season, he’s really performed in additional common PGA and DP World Tour tournaments (10) than he has PGA Tour Champions occasions (8).

What’s extra, Harrington can say one thing Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth and lots of others can’t: He has not missed a minimize in 2023.

All of this after Harrington made “solely” $434,000 in 38 occasions on the PGA Tour from 2016-19 in his late 40s. In eight PGA Tour begins this season, he already has amassed $489,782.

Certain, it’s one factor simply to play and make the minimize in occasions with gamers who have been born after Harrington’s first DP World Tour win in 1996, however he really has contended in a few them, too. He was fourth on the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January and tied for tenth on the Valero Texas Open in April.

Simply final week on the Scottish Open, Harrington opened 67-66 earlier than cooling to 70-74 on the weekend. However after the second spherical, he was tied for seventh with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.

Harrington is just not the primary participant to play effectively in big-time occasions after turning 50; Phil Mickelson gained the PGA Championship at 50 solely two years in the past, and Davis Love III gained at 51 on the PGA Tour in 2015. However Harrington will be the first participant to say he’s fully ignoring his age.

“Utterly irrelevant,” he mentioned Saturday after signing for a two-over 73 at Royal Liverpool. “Yeah, no, I don’t consider age in any respect. Not in any form or kind.”

Make no mistake, Harrington didn’t taking part in ceremoniously this week…or final week…or on the U.S. Open the place he completed T27. He’s nonetheless obtained one thing to play for. He mentioned on the Scottish Open that European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald reached out to him about the opportunity of being a captain’s choose for Rome in September.

Harrington even skipped a senior main final week to play at Renaissance Membership.

“I mentioned, [my schedule] goes to be very clear,” Harrington mentioned on Friday on the Scottish. “How I play in Scotland and the way I play on the Open will decide all the things … I do know if I don’t carry out these two weeks, it’s the tip of that.”

Finally, that lengthy shot of a captain’s choose has grown longer after his completed T42 in Scotland and can start the ultimate spherical at Royal Liverpool at six over in a tie for 69th.

However that doesn’t imply his mindset is altering. He’ll head to Wales subsequent week for the Senior Open, however then he’ll keep in Europe and hold taking part in on the DP World Tour.

“It could appear a much bigger deal to try to win a European occasion than a Champions Tour occasion,” he mentioned.

Harrington isn’t the primary participant to emphasize the ball doesn’t know the age of — or the rest about — the participant hitting it, however he is likely to be the primary to say it so confidently. Maybe it’s the explanation he’s performed so solidly in his begins on the common excursions.

As Harrington spoke of his age-blindness Saturday, one reporter pushed again, saying, “That may change, by the best way.”

To which Harrington mentioned, “I consider it after I’m getting off the bed within the morning, however I don’t consider it in {golfing} phrases. I’m making an attempt to compete, and as I mentioned, I really feel I can.”

The dialog then shifted to how his placing is holding him again.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State College, incomes levels in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his highschool golf staff and nonetheless *tries* to stay aggressive in native amateurs. Earlier than becoming a member of GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but additionally producing, anchoring and even presenting the climate. He could be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.