Golfer Harrington hungry for more at St Andrews

Padraig Harrington says he is ready to add to his major haul and there is no course he would rather do that on than at The Home of Golf in St Andrews.

The Irishman won three majors in the course of a brilliant 13 months, capturing the 2007 and 2008 British Open titles followed by the USPGA crown.

That shot him into superstar status in the world of golf and, still in his thirties, he seemed destined for more top titles.

To date, though, that has not happened as Harrington tinkered with his swing through 2009 and he has failed to mount a realistic challenge in the majors since then.

Asked if he might be suffering from burnout and the sense that winning three majors was a lifetime accomplishment in itself, he replied: "Well, I would say I'm in the opposite battle.

"I want to go out and win more majors, and if anything I'm too pushy, too hard, and trying too hard, and it's all about getting the next one.

"It's not about sitting back and doing your normal thing and relaxing a little bit and enjoying it. I definitely would be of the other camp of overdoing things.

"No, I haven't made it to the stage that I'm not excited about the game. There will be a few years left for me before that happens."

Harrington did not play at St Andrews the last time the Open was held here in 2005, owing to the death of his father, and he only tied for 20th in 2000.

But he knows the Old Course well, having first played it as an amateur in the early 1990s, and he won the Dunhill Links Championship here in 2002 and 2006, which he said will help his confidence this time out.

"At times you can maybe expect a little bit too much or push a little bit too hard," he said.

"But it's nice to have won a couple of them (Open), and I should try and be a little bit more relaxed about trying to win a third one.

"I have won a couple of Dunhills around this golf course, but it would be a different golf course when the Dunhill is on."

Harrington said he was delighted with his draw, having been paired with the veteran Tom Watson, who almost won the tournament at Turnberry last year, and rising Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa.

"That's actually a lovely threeball," he said.

"I've got to say, I've got two ends of the spectrum to look at, certainly a lot to learn from Tom Watson and certainly a lot to watch with Ryo Ishikawa."