Harrington is very hot

Tiger Woods or no Tiger Woods, you've got to hand it to Padraig Harrington.

 

Woods hasn't been in the picture since winning the U.S. Open, so some people get the idea that Harrington's victories in the British Open and the just-concluded PGA Championship are somehow tainted.

 

Well, maybe, but the guy sure is playing great golf. Harrington is so hot, I'm not sure even the prospect of facing down Tiger in the final round of either tournament would have cooled him down. He shot 32 the final nine holes at Royal Birkdale, and he fired back-to-back 66s in the final two rounds of the PGA, on a fierce course.

 

With his victory in the British last year, that's three majors in 13 months. That is Tigerish, to be sure. 

 

I hope Harrington's game stays sharp when Tiger returns next year, and I love Tiger Woods. If he isn't the greatest golfer of all time and one of the greatest competitors in any sport ever - even if I sometimes wonder about the spontaneity of some of his celebrations - he certainly is in a extremely elite group. But he really needs a genuine rival to further legitimize his legend, and for the good of the game. His dominance has been so thorough for so long that there often is no drama when he plays, and no interest when he doesn't.

 

So, cheers for Harrington.