Harrington-Garcia rift over
Padraig Harrington (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)
THE cold war is over between Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia.
Europe's two top-ranked players tore down the wall of silence during September's Ryder Cup, according to the Dubliner who famously whipped The Claret Jug from under Garcia's nose at Carnoustie, where the Spaniard was less than gracious in defeat.
Harrington's victory over Garcia in their thrilling head-to-head at this year's US PGA Championship put another layer of frost on their relationship, but the ice was broken at Valhalla.
"It certainly has been difficult between me and Sergio," the 37-year-old explained.
"Things definitely got a little bit tense there, but the Ryder Cup really helped.
"We spent the week in each other's company, played a couple of practice matches together and he got to say his piece, things he wanted to say all along.
"Some of the lads eventually drew it out of him and he got to tell me that he really wanted to smash that putter over my head.
"That was what I really wanted to hear and, though the Ryder Cup didn't do too much for Europe, it did do a lot for me and Sergio."
Meanwhile, speculation is growing in America that Paul Azinger could be retained as Ryder Cup captain for the match at Celtic Manor in Wales in 2010.
The last United States captain to keep the job was Ben Hogan in 1949.
