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Pádraig Harrington aims to find straight and narrow again in aim to become DP World Tour’s oldest winner

Pádraig Harrington in action during last week's Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images Expand

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Pádraig Harrington in action during last week's Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

Pádraig Harrington in action during last week's Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

Pádraig Harrington in action during last week's Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

Brian Keogh

Pádraig Harrington is hoping his Dubai Desert Classic blow-up was a rare “goalkeeping error” as he bids again to become the DP World Tour’s oldest winner in the $2 million (€1.8m) Ras Al Khaimah Championship.

After finishing fourth in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the three-time Major winner (51) crashed to an opening 81 at the Emirates and while he recovered with a brilliant 65 en route to missing the cut, he’s bracing himself for “the narrowest golf course” he’s ever seen this week.

“You know, the first day, I just played like a klutz,” the Dubliner said of his first-round disaster in Dubai. “I think I get that, like once a year.

“I remember I used to get that when I was a goalkeeper as a kid. Once a year, you would let a back pass between your legs into the goal. They never substitute the goalkeeper off when he does that, and it’s a bit like golf, you have to keep going.”

Kinsale’s John Murphy and west Waterford’s Gary Hurley joined Harrington and fellow rookie Tom McKibbin at Al Hamra Golf Club wishing they’d brought their hurleys as the range overlooks the GAA pitch used by local club RAK Ropairí GAA.

The two Munster men are looking to convert a few golfing ’65s in their first starts of 2023, but Harrington, who is nursing his long-term knee injury, is simply hoping to hit fairways at a course that’s been toughened up since Nicolai Hojgaard won on 24-under par last year.

“It’s extremely narrow,” Harrington said. “Easily the narrowest golf course I’ve ever seen. You’ve got 15 to 20 yards of fairway at most – about half the size of what you’d regularly see . . . They’ve made a concerted effort this year to make it tougher, and tougher, but that doesn’t mean better.”

Ryan Fox is the only member of the world’s top 50 at Al Hamra, but there are seven in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Jordan Spieth and Séamus Power are the top four players in the field.

Power was disappointed with his putting during in Abu Dhabi. But he’s looking to shine on the Monterey Peninsula, where he opened with back-to-back 64s to set a 36-hole scoring record last year only to slip to tied ninth behind Tom Hoge.

On the Asian Tour, eight of the world’s top 50 are in action at the PIF Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club near Jeddah.

Former world No 4 Graeme McDowell is one of 12 Major winners in action alongside Open champion Cameron Smith and new LIV Golf signings, Chile’s Mito Pereira and Colombia’s Sebastian Muñoz.

Leona Maguire is scheduled to be at Royal Greens from February 16-19 for the $5 million (€4.58m) Saudi Ladies International before heading further east for two LPGA Tour events.

Meanwhile, the R&A will stage The G4D Open over the Duchess course at Woburn from May 10-12.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Louth’s Brendan Lawlor, No 2 in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability and the first disabled golfer to play on the DP World Tour. “To win this new championship would be just as big in my eyes.”

In South Africa, Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell and Rosapenna’s Ruaidhri McGee kick off the Challenge Tour season in the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open.

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