Padraig Harrington taking confidence to Augusta National

Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, fresh off his best finish in four starts on PGA TOUR Champions, left Biloxi, Mississippi, for Augusta, Georgia, on Sunday with a shot of confidence.

Harrington tied for second at the Rapiscan Systems Classic, six strokes behind Steven Alker. Yes, the Irishman wished he’d had the New Zealand native a bit closer in sight, but Alker staked his claim to the title on Saturday with a course-record 10-under 62 that gave him a lead he never surrendered.

“Steven Alker, he really pushed away there,” Harrington said after his 7-under 65 on Sunday. “I was hoping going out that I could shoot 8-under par to have -- to be close enough. Was close enough to second place.

“So look, I'm happy with the way I played. I had a good attitude, was always learning, learned a bit from yesterday. It was a disappointing round yesterday not to shoot 2- or 3-under par, but nice to come back with 7 under (on Sunday).”

Harrington hadn’t done much in his first three starts – two finishes in the 50s to go with a T18 at the SAS Championship. He said the level of competition was to blame, as well as the fact his short game wasn’t as sharp as it would need to be.

But on a new course at the Rapiscan, Harrington found some things he could carry with him to Augusta for his 16th Masters and first since 2015. He was No. 1 in driving distance at the Grand Bear and No. 1 in greens in regulation. He hit 13 of 14 fairways on both Friday and Sunday, but some wayward tee shots on Saturday left him T18 in driving accuracy. Harrington was T19 in putts per GIR – not bad but not exactly what you want to see heading to the greens of Augusta National. But he also could blame his Saturday round (a 72) for driving down his putting statistics.

“Very suitable golf course for me this week,” Harrington said. “Some weeks, yeah, the golf courses can be quite claustrophobic in places. It depends on the venue whether you really feel comfortable, so I knew I was comfortable this week. If anything, I put myself under a little bit of pressure, I like the course so much.”

The Jack Nicklaus design has pine tree-lined fairways, but most are quite generous off the tee. Most holes play left to right as well, which suited Harrington.

Now he’ll test himself once more against Augusta National, which hasn’t proved particularly fruitful. Harrington’s best finish is a T5, which he accomplished in 2002 and ’08. He also has missed six cuts, including four of his past five starts there.

“I'm happy to be back,” said Harrington, who made the field by virtue of his surprising fourth-place finish at last year’s PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, South Carolina. “I'm not going there to make up the numbers. With my head, I'm going there to play my best golf and compete and try and win, get my head in the right place.

“Physically, I can do it, so it really is just getting your head in the right place.”

Augusta National has had several changes since Harrington last made his way around the course seven years ago.

“I'm looking forward to seeing the change in the green on 11,” Harrington said. “Length-wise they've made a couple of changes. Length doesn't bother anybody on the TOUR really. If they put a dip in the right of 11, that's going to be quite severe and difficult. I'm looking forward to that challenge, but that certainly -- that will make that hole tough.”

No other non-Masters champion over the age of 50 qualified, but past Masters champions in the field who play with Harrington on PGA TOUR Champions include Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples, Mike Weir, Vijay Singh, Jose Maria Olazabal, Sandy Lyle and Larry Mize.