EDISON, NEW JERSEY | Three-time major
champion Padraig Harrington has endured a
wretched season, plummeting from a top-10
player to world No. 75. He shot his best round
of the year in the first round of The Barclays
with a 6-under-par 65. Yet, he still found time
for some doom mongering among the good
news. He believes when Tiger Woods comes
back he is going to break Jack Nicklaus’ record
total of 18 major victories.
“I still put my money on him doing it, yeah,”
Harrington said. “I still believe when he turns
up and plays well in a given week, I think he’s
well capable of winning any major he plays in.
He still has good ball flight. He still hits it well.
Once he puts it together in a given week, he can
win and will going forward.”
Earthquake Wednesday, hurricane Sunday,
luckily the locusts cancelled. Defending FedEx
Cup champion Jim Furyk was midway through
his tournament preview press conference when
the building began shaking. He stared in puzzle-
ment around the room, along with everyone else,
then carried on talking about belly putters. Bah,
it was only a 5. 8 and that was in Washington D.C.
After the players endured a monstrous 254-
yard par 3 at Atlanta during the PGA Champion-
ship, Plainfield offered up a harmless 285-yard
par- 4 finishing hole at The Barclays. The fans
and players loved it. “I think it’s great,” said
Wyndham Championship winner Webb Simpson.
“Not only for us but also for the fans out there,
and watching on TV. Too many times on Tour we
Justin Rose
Earthquake joke of the
week goes to Justin
Rose. “Was that an
earthquake I just felt on
the range in New Jersey?
Either that or Gary
Woodland is
thumping out
2-irons!”
play final holes that are 480 yards and I can see
how it would get boring for fans.”
The ever-opinionated Phil Mickelson had a
view on this, too. “It’s terrific. If I ask anybody
to think of their favorite golf course and favorite
hole, it’s either a par 3 under 150 yards or a
drivable par 4, occasionally a reachable par 5. It
makes it exciting for the finish.”
The long putter debate rages on. Mickelson
said it’s too late to ban the broom or the vacuum
cleaner extension. “If it were going to be banned,
it should have happened 20-plus years ago,” he
said. “But now that it’s been legal, I don’t think
you can make it retroactive. There have been
guys that have been working with that putter for
years, if not decades. I just don’t believe that it
should even be a consideration.”
Country music singer Chely Wright gave a
free concert on Wednesday to end Military Ap-
preciation Day at The Barclays. She opened her
set with her biggest hit, “Shut Up And Drive.” l
