Harrington Decides to Play

After Darren Clarke withdrew from the PGA Championship because of the death of his wife, Heather, from breast cancer, Paul McGinley also pulled out. But Padraig Harrington decided he’d play.

“Obviously, Darren made it quite clear that the players should go and play,” he said. “It’s what Heather would have wanted.”

Harrington said he would donate his prize money this week to cancer research.

“For me, it feels like I’m doing something practical this week.

“I think both Darren and Heather were exceptionally brave and so dignified. It’s been terribly hard. Heather never once complained ... they just struggled on. Both Darren on the golf course and Darren and Heather off the golf course were an example to everybody that they were getting on with it. She put up a brave struggle.”

Clarke, who is from Northern Ireland, met his future wife in a nightclub in Portrush. Harrington and McGinley are from Dublin, Ireland.

Tiger Woods, who lost his father to cancer May 3, said he felt for Clarke.

“I could not imagine going through that and watching someone that you were going to spend the rest of your life with deteriorate and go through the hardships and then eventually move on,” he said.

“It’s a loss for everyone who ever got a chance to meet her and know her.”

Heather died Sunday at a London hospital at 39, the day before Clarke’s 38th birthday.

*

Phil Mickelson on Sergio Garcia, who comes to the PGA Championship without a major victory: “Well, it’s nice that I was able to pass the mantle to somebody.”

Mickelson, his tongue in cheek, on Garcia’s shot from behind a tree at the 16th hole of the fourth round of the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah: “The shot he hit on 16 was just crazy. I would never try that. I wouldn’t advocate that. I think you should always, always pitch out to the middle of the fairway and hit an eight-iron on. What are these guys thinking nowadays?”

*

Luke Donald is regarded as a player to watch this week, but he needs to get off to better starts. Donald opened with a 74 at the Masters, a 78 at the U.S. Open and a 74 at the British Open.

“I think it was more mental than anything,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got to a stage in my game where I’m good enough to compete and win at any given tournament and right now it’s just I’ve been getting in my own way a little bit on the mental side.”