WITH a million reasons to feel good about life, Padraig Harrington hopes to seize a rewarding opportunity at the BMW PGA Championship this week-end, on a course he once shunned, to relish the most lucrative week's work of his career.
Lurking two shots behind Justin Rose and Angel Cabrera, the Irish Open champion has a chance at Wentworth to win on the European Tour for the second week running and pocket a bonus of a million euros (£680,000). After collecting £248,141 in Limerick, Harrington now finds himself in the frame for the first prize at Wentworth of £495,000 and a bag of swag worth nearly £1.
5 million.
The idea of a bonus for the winner of both the Irish Open and the PGA came from the organisers at Adare Manor. Dermot Desmond, the Irish entrepreneur and Celtic's main shareholder, underwrote the insurance policy covering this bonus, in an effort to improve the field for Ireland's national championship.
After signing for 69 and 138, six under par, at an event he chose not to enter in 2003 and 2004 because of reservations about the greens, Harrington says he won't feel any extra pressure from the financial incentive and regards the interest surrounding his quest as a bit of fun.
"I'm very conscious of it," he admitted. "But it's actually providing me with entertainment.
It's one of those things you like to have a little laugh or chuckle about. It's not going to distract me or hang over me."
A former accountant with a shrewd eye for business as well as an aptitude for golf, Harrington is already a rival for Roy Keane as the most commercially successful Irish sportsman.
Even so, the Dubliner wasn't turning up his nose at the prospect of such a handsome bonus.
"A million euros is a million euros in any man's language," he smiled. "But it's an extra, an incentive, not something I feel like if I don't win, then I've lost a million.
If I win it, I win a million. It's all positive."
Harrington's round, incidentally, began in curious fashion when his second shot to the first green bounced towards a spectator and nestled in the top of a backpack.
He was granted a free drop but couldn't save par.
Although much about Wentworth is first class and Ernie Els' changes to the West Course have gone down well for the most part, the greens are surprisingly variable for a test which charges a visitor's fee of £285. "It's a commercial golf course and I don't want to be the one griping about it," Harrington added.
"The course is great from tee to green and could be the No1 parkland course in Britain. I don't think there's a player out there who doesn't know what I think about the greens. It could compete with Valderrama if only 20 people a day were playing.
"
On the other hand, Rose, who carded 70 for 136, eight under par, hasn't found the greens much of a disadvantage. Averaging 27.5 putts per round at the halfway mark, the young Englishman finished off his round with three consecutive birdies and transformed his fortunes.
"The finish made a bad day into a good one, really," he said.
Cabrera, 66 for 136, has emerged as a Wentworth specialist since he was thwarted by Scott Drummond in 2004. The long-hitting Argentine made amends the following year when he pipped Paul McGinley for the title and was back in the hunt for another PGA title after eagling the par 4 first from 173 yards with an 8 iron.
Having played 72 holes at Wentworth every spring since he missed the cut on his debut in 1989, Colin Montgomerie was in trouble as the halfway mark approached after carding five bogeys and a double in eight holes between the eighth and 15th. But the Scot is nothing if not a fighter and closing birdies at the 17th and 18th helped salvage 76, equalling the worst score of a career on the West Course where he's won more money, £1.2million, than anyone else.
When a 30-foot eagle putt dipped below the hole on the last, Monty's glance toward the heavens indicated his concerns that a run of 17 consecutive cuts was about to come to an end. However, a quickening breeze in the afternoon helped his cause and ushered all those on two over or better into the weekend action.
All told, it was a trying time for the Scots - Alastair Forsyth five putted the fourth - and only past winner Andrew Oldcorn and Marc Warren will be keeping Monty company today.
At an event which has often rewarded competitors from the home of golf - five of the last ten stagings of the BMW have been won by Scots - this was a day when tartan scorecards made for sober reading.
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