It’s 7pm Sunday evening in Ireland and at long last, Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington are going head-to-head for the first time since Harrington’s back-to-back major success. Finally, Padraig has found some bit of form and looks like he might just pull this off, considering he does have a 3 shot advantage!

45mins later and a Woods eagle has seen Harrington’s lead whittled down to only one and I am already twitching in my seat. I’m receiving text messages from friends acknowledging this could be one of the great duels and I am agreeing. I am worried about Harrington’s drives however and the length of time it has been since he has been in contention…could he possibly stay in touch with the great one?

Fast forward a few hours and they have played nine holes. Woods has gone out in 5 under with a superb ball striking exhibition. He leads by two now from Harrington who has holed some clutch par putts but he is driving the ball well. It’s what we expected to see really, Woods with the blistering start but Harrington refusing to go away.

A Harrington birdie on the 11th and then deficit is cut to one. But wait a second, Woods bogeys 13 and 14 and an incredible par from Harrington on the 14th means he now leads. Harrington is now splitting the fairways and even outdrives Woods by 40 yards on one of the holes. Yes, 40 yards!! After they exchange pars on the 15th, Harrington still leads by one playing the 16th. A pushed drive on the 16th though and this is where everything changes.

Up to now, it had been a fantastic battle. Two of golf’s modern stars, head to head, and all to play for. The tension is audible and the crowds are 10 deep. This could be special they all agree! So Paddy stands over his ball in the right rough on 16 and then, unusually, appears to hit his layup with very little consideration and puts in the rough again. I’m amazed and think, he is after completely loosing concentration. This is so unlike Harrington I thought. 5 minutes later and Harrington has taken 8 to Woods 4 and the competition is over. The battle has ended and Harrington is wounded. Woods goes on to finish him off with the calm of a true great and with it earns his 70th Title. World class…he certainly is. Harrington shakes his hand and reassures him “We will do battle many times again”

However, in his speech, Woods praises Harrington for the battle they had but criticises referee John Paramor for putting them on the clock on the 16th……Hold up a second, they were put on the clock? That explains Harrington’s rushed behavior and Woods pointed out that it visibly affected Harrington.

Now, we will never know what would have happened and I know that slow play is not welcome but for John Paramor to stick his nose in what was a great battle is absolutely ridiculous in my view. Who the heck are they holding up? Hell, the spectators wouldn’t mind if they spent an extra 5hrs on the course such was the intensity and desire amongst these two to win. Maybe, if there were others in contention, the referee might have had a point but there was no one else. The winner was going to be Harrington or Woods…period!

Such is golf however and personally, the most satisfactory thing for me was watching Harrington compete again. He is now a serious consideration again for the upcoming USPGA Championship and being paired with Woods in the opening two rounds, the rivalry continues sooner that most might have expected.

Watching the final round of the Bridgestone. Praying Harrington can bring it home. Here is a recap of rounds 2 and 3.

A cracking field in this weeks Bridegestone Invitational at Firestone with all eyes and expectations resting with Tiger Woods. However, there are other contenders which the PGA Tour Video above outlines. This week also marks the return of Phil Mickelson. How great would it be to see him walk away with the top prize!

On a separate note, Irishman Shane Lowry, who won this years Irish Open, is competing. It is a huge step up when you consider Shane was taking part in a local competition this time last year and making €500 for his efforts. This week, with no cut in operation, he is guaranteed a minimum purse of €24,500. More than that however, the experience he gains from this week will be invaluable. I’m keeping toes, fingers, you name it, crossed for Shane and hope he has a respectable week. If any of you are attending the event, please check him out and give him a big round of applause. His rise to stardom is truly unforgettable and hopefully he can continue to progress in the game.

Finally, what a cracking name for a golf course…..FIRESTONE. The name alone is intimidating. In fairness, there are some great golf course names worldwide. Please leave a comment if you know of any worth a mention?

Just another look back on Tiger Woods performance last week. It really is incredible how he could go from such a poor performance in the British Open to that at the Buick. You can’t help but feel he will add his first major of the year at the USPGA Championship.

Tiger Woods has a knack of proving people wrong. After watching him at the British Open, I for one wondered about the state of his overall game and in particular, his attitude on the course.

However, a week later and another victory under his belt, all seems well again with the Worlds Number 1. A simply masterful performance when you consider his subdued opening round!!

My updates over the last few days have been sparse due to the shutdown of my laptop. A new motherboards is needed so things have been a little all over the place.

On the plus side, it’s British Open Week and we have full days of full on golf to look forward to. I always think it is difficult to pick the winner of the Open because so much can depend on the weather and who gets the right side of the draw. There are also a few stats/omens to consider:

I have outlined the spooky omens surrounding Harringtons Open build up. I have also outlined that the three times the Open has been at Turnberry, the #1 ranked player in the world has won it, hence further support for Tiger Woods. Finally, here is an interesting one; Americans have won 10 of the last 14 Opens while 16 of the last 21 winners of the claret jug have been ranked in the top 20 in the world rankings.

So with this in mind, Im going to pick my top 5.

Ben Curtis: Has a fantastic record in the British having finished in the top 10 the past two years and winning the event in 2003. He is also in good form this season so at 55/1 represents a good bet. He is not ranked in the top 20 (#27) but this does not put me off.

Rory McIlroy: I have to pick an fellow Irish man to do well considering this is the British Open after all. Harringtons form is poor so I cant recommend him. It is a close call between McDowell and McIlroy but the youngsters slightly better form edges it. Having impressed 2 years ago as an amateur in the Open, McIlroy has the game to do well. Obviously he is well suited to links golf also. Can be got at 40/1.

Jim Furyk: With such a premium on being straight off the tee, Furyk gets the nod just ahead of the likes of Stricker, Perry and O’Hair (although it would not surprise me to see Stricker especially to go well). It’s been a while since Furyk has been in the winners enclosure but he has the game this week to challenge. Ranked 9th in the world and hailing from America, he fits in with what the records show. 33/1 is a good price.

Ian Poulter: The rather volatile Poulter has a big chance, if he can keep his mind focussed on the job in hand and  not get distracted by outside influences, such as camera men. We all remember how he challenged last year and there is no doubt, Poulter is a gritty competitor. He however, has not been overly impressive with the way he has closed out tournaments but at 33/1, full of confidence and ranked 18th in the world, Poulter gets my vote ahead of Casey, Harrington, Garcia (only just), Stenson (again only just) and Fisher.

Thomas Levet: Finally, my outside bet is Levet at 125/1. He is only here because Brett Quiqley pulled out late but the Frenchman is in good form and links golf may suit him very well, considering his low ball flight. He is ranked #82 in the world but bringing form into the event is important. It was a close call between himself and Marcus Brier (250/1), who made 17 birdies in his 36 hole Open Qualifier and like Levet, has a low penetrating ball flight.

So there we are. As you will have noticed, I did not include Tiger Woods. That is because I backed him at the beginning of the year to win a major this season and am convinced he will still win one of the remaining two. However, I think you would prefer me to tip people other than Woods in this blog. After all, it isn’t that hard to pick him.

Finally, just a few things. Boyle Sports are actually paying out top-8 for the Open Championship, if you place your bets online or over the phone so be sure to take advantage. Also, I will be doing regular updates on Twitter, so be sure to check them out for those who cant watch it.

Okay Im off in front of the TV for the day. Come on Paddy Harrington…..3 in a Row!!!!

Wow, these omens are really beginning to appear all over the place about Padraig Harrington. Forget about the state of his golf game and Obey the Omen.

When Padraig Harrington won his first British Open, he was the #14 ranked player in the world. As luck would have it, Padraig is now ranked 14 again in the World and so, it would seem everything is perfectly in place for a Harrington 7 shot win…..Forgetting about the fact of course, that the reason Harrington is #14 in the world is because he has plummeted down the rankings, from 3rd, over the past 9 months.

I’m hoping now the hotel staff burn his toast similar to last year, he wears the same socks and shoes as last year and the Worlds best Player is missing like last year…….Doh!!! Come on Padraig, lets prove all the doubters wrong and claim the coveted three in a row at the expense of the mighty Woods!

Do you beleive in Omens? Well if you do, consider this;

In 2007, Padraig Harrington decided to give the Barclays British Open at Loch Lomand a miss, instead preferring to play in the Irish PGA Championship on a links course to prepare for the British Open. He went on to win the Irish PGA in a play-off before going to the British Open and doing the same thing, winning his first major….in a play-off against Garcia.

2008 and Harrington again wins the Irish PGA Championship but this time by 4 shots. Guess what, he heads across the water a week later and wins his second British Open. The winning margin…yep, 4 shots!

So what of 2009? Well, the good news for us Harrington fanatics is that he has just won the Irish PGA Championship for a third straight year by a whopping 7 shots! Is this a sign of things to come perhaps. Picture this: it’s Sunday afternoon with Woods and Harrington tied for the lead. In a blistering final round, Harrington shoots 66 to Woods lacklustre 73 to win by 7 shots and delight the omen obsessed Harrington fans. Ooooh I say, pinch me quickly….I think I’m dreaming.

Oh by the way, one other omen that could scupper Harringtons plans. The three Opens contested at Tunrberry over the years have been won by the then current #1 in the World……now I don’t need to tell you who’s #1 in the World today do I?

No Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson but it is nevertheless a very strong field at the Par 71 Loch Lomand venue for this weeks European Tour event, The Barclay’s Scottish Open. The Loch Lomand course is poles apart from what the pros will play next week at the British Open in Turnberry, yet it is very well supported. My personal view is that the Irish Open, played on a good traditional links course, would be the ideal tournament the week before the Open but clearly there are political decisions being made. 

My case in point is strengthened by the performances of Padraig Harrington over the past few years in the Open. Harrington has chosen to play in the PGA Irish Championship, instead of Loch Lomand, the past two years as the event is played on tough links courses. It certainly prepared him well in 2007 and 2008 as he went on to win the Open. True to form, he maintained this schedule and at the half way stage, leads by a shot from Leslie Walker this year.

I am sure the rest of the pro’s would like to have this option; to play on a tournament links course like Harrington has, so come on, get the Irish Open moved to the week before the British Open and move the Barclays Scottish to the week after. It makes sense and I think a certain Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey would certainly be present in addition to the rest of those serious about trying to win the Open!

A brief recap of the AT&T National, won by Tiger Woods. Enjoy.