Padraig Harrington Set To Focus More On Europe To Boost Ryder Cup Hopes

Padraig Harrington might have turned 50 almost two years ago but the three-time Major winner remains competitive against the under 50s and is starting to be spoken about for the Ryder Cup - as a player, not a captain again.

The Irishman has won five times on the PGA Tour Champions over the last 13 months, including last year's US Senior Open. He still plays plenty of golf on the DP World Tour and has a best finish this year of 4th at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Harrington was also T10th at the Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour, and he's made all three cuts in the three Majors he's teed it up in.

He recently said that he would consider playing more in Europe, and less on the US senior circuit, if captain Luke Donald thought he had a genuine chance of making the European Ryder Cup team - and it seems he does.

Harrington said at Royal Liverpool that he'll play "a few more in Europe" after next week's Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl, including the European Masters in Switzerland after admitting that a DP World Tour win would do more for his Ryder Cup hopes than a PGA Tour Champions victory.

"I'm going to play next week [Senior Open], but I do think I'm going to play a few more in Europe," Harrington said after his third round at the 151st Open.

"As I said, it would seem a bigger deal to try and win a European event than a Champions Tour event.

"I'm in good enough form to do that, yes, I know Switzerland has never been a happy hunting ground for me, but I like it up there so we'll go enjoy a week in Crans and see if anything comes of it."

Harrington was the oldest man in the field to make the cut this week at The Open and he says his age is "completely irrelevant".

"I don't think of age at all. Not in any shape or form," he said.

"I think of it when I'm getting out of bed in the morning, but I don't think of it in golfing terms. I'm trying to compete, and as I said, I feel I can. The only thing that's held me back for three days is some good putts not falling the right way at the right time."