The Loop

Padraig on the Paddy Slam

March 24, 2009

Padraig Harrington insists he hasn't lost sleep fantasizing about the "Paddy Slam." Not that it hasn't crossed his mind.

"I don't think about it at all until I'm asked questions about it," he said Tuesday at Bay Hill, where he is competing this week in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. "It's great to be asked and great to talk about. It's like before I won my first major, people would ask, oh, you're one of the best players not to have won a major, and I would always take that as a positive, that it's nice to be included in that company."

The Irishman parlayed clutch shot-making and putting to win the British Open and PGA Championship last year. In three weeks, he guns for his third-straight major title at the Masters, his favorite tournament of the year.

"It would be a nice bonus to win three majors in a row, but does it make much difference whether I win this one or win in a year's time or two year's time?" he said. "No, I'm quite patient; I'll wait for two years' time."

Harrington hasn't clicked on all cylinders in 2009. In five PGA Tour starts, he's made three cuts, his best finish a tie for 20th at the WGC-CA Championship. At Doral, he changed his putting routine.

"It's probably a bit more like Aaron Baddeley's," said Harrington. "I used to take my practice putts at the side of the ball and then move in over the ball. Now I'm taking my practice putts on the putting line back maybe six feet behind the ball and then walking from there in on top of the ball. It helps me line up better."

-- Mark Soltau