ShareThisCount Padraig Harrington among the leading PGA Tour pros who consider a good sports psychologist on par with the right set of clubs.
"It ain't rocket science what they tell you, but if you have the acceptance that it can work, it works," said Harrington, who will try to defending his PGA championship this week for this week at Hazeltine National. "If you're looking for an example, I'm not going to come up with anything awe-inspiring. It's not going to be some big secret that nobody else but me knows. But knowing it and having the discipline to follow it are two different things."
Harrington, who finished tied for second behind Tiger Woods at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday, works with renowned sports psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella. The two shared a house in 2007 when Harrington won his first major at the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie. And Rotella also walked Harrington's mind through the weeks he won last year's British Open and PGA Championship.
"I describe Bob a little bit like a school teacher," Harrington said. "He can say, 'Here's your homework, go and do it.' You know it's your responsibility to go out and do it. But you tend to do it a little better when Bob is standing over you."
Harrington, 37, describes himself as a "constant thinker" who is always tinkering with the physical and mental part of his game. Even when it appears everything is going A-OK.
Eyebrows were raised when he changed his swing after winning last year's PGA Championship and climbing to No. 3 in the world. But Harrington stuck to his plan, with Rotella's help, of course.
"I told Bob I wanted to get better, and the way to get better is improve things and change things," Harrington said. "If that means I step back a bit, that's OK in the short term. We talked about it."
Harrington missed the cut in 10 of his next 17 events from last year's PGA Championship to last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He appeared to be nothing more than an afterthought heading to Hazeltine this week.
But then Harrington fired rounds of 64, 69 and 67 to take a three-shot lead over Tiger Woods heading into the final round Sunday in Akron, Ohio.
No, Harrington didn't win. A triple-bogey 8 at the 16th hole paved the way for Woods' seventh career victory at Firestone. It was Woods' second win in two weeks, fifth this season and 14th in his past 24 events.
As for Harrington, it was a successful week even without winning. After a disappointing 11-1/2-month stretch, Harrington -- and Rotella -- no doubt will take something positive out of a Sunday battle with Woods on the eve of the 91st PGA Championship.
"You very rarely learn from winning," Harrington said back in June. "Winning can be a good habit, but you don't learn very much. When something is painful, you tend to learn a lot more from it."
In addition to working with Rotella, Harrington also reads Rotella's books on golf. Among them are "Golf is Not a Game of Perfect" and "Putting out of your Mind," which certainly is something Harrington did with four birdies and two long par saves during a back-nine 32 to win last year's PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.
"The great thing about Bob Rotella is everything he tells me is actually in his books," Harrington said. "It's very straightforward stuff. Some people have given Bob maybe a cruel nickname in that they say he's 'Dr. Obvious.' Many of the things he says you already know, but you listen to him."
And what does he say?
"Things like 'inside the present' or plenty of 'respect your routine' or 'acceptance' and 'patience, no judging, no analyzing,'" Harrington said. "Stuff like that. It can get incredibly monotonous what he tells you."
The last time Harrington played Hazeltine, he shot 2-over 290 to finish tied for 17th at the 2002 PGA Championship. It was his best finish in a PGA Championship before he won one last year.
"I remember I hurt my neck that week and really wasn't able to get it right," Harrington said. "(Trainer Dale Richardson) worked on it. I still have a picture of him at Hazeltine where it looks like he's trying to pull my head off."
If Harrington is in contention this week, one can expect to see those teeth clenched, tongue out and eyes wide open.
"Thankfully, the one thing I've always had since I was a kid is I'm more likely to get into the zone when I'm nervous and have adrenaline going," said Harrington, who came from four shots behind to win last year's PGA. "Stick me in a bad situation and I light up. That's what you saw at the PGA last year with my eyes popping out of my head."
(Contact Mark Craig at mcraig@startribune.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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