Norton: Padraig Harrington, having flirted with victory in his last three PGA Tour starts, is banking on fourth time lucky for this week's Deutsche Bank Championship.
The Irishman missed the cut in his last two appearances at the TPC Boston but he was in upbeat mood on Wednesday as he prepared for the second of the Tour's four lucrative FedExCup playoff events.
"I'd rather have the experience of being in contention and have a chance of winning because I know some days it will go right for me and I will win," three-times major winner Harrington told reporters.
"It's all about being in contention over and over and over and the great thing for me the last three weeks is I genuinely was in contention. I had the adrenaline and the nerves."
Although perfectly placed to push on for victory in his three previous starts, Harrington failed to close the deal.
He endured uncharacteristic final-round collapses at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone, where he tied for second, and the PGA Championship at Hazeltine, where he shared 10th place.
"I'd be far happier to finish where I did than to shoot 66 in the last round and finish in the same position," the 38-year-old said. "The last couple of weeks are just put into the memory bank."
Harrington ran up a triple bogey in the final round at Firestone and a quintuple bogey at the PGA Championship, but he avoided trouble at the Barclays Classic on Sunday.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, September 03, 2009, 08:42