Pride for Pádraig Harrington watching his son at PNC Championship
Images Harrington In They To After Douglas Ninth Orlando, Round Ball Finished The Golf Picture: Son Championship Club Pnc Defelice/getty Hole At The Hands Ritz First Paddy Padraig Carlton During A Of The P His Florida
For the moment, exam schedules are the main deciding factor for which of Pádraig Harrington's sons, Ciarán and Paddy, gets to play with him at the PNC Championship. The tournament sees major winners and Players Championship winners team up with a family member for a 36-hole scramble.
Harrington is playing the tournament for the ninth time this year, and for the fifth time with Paddy. They finished the first round one shot off the leaders.
"We finished fourth one year," said Harrington.
"But this is the first time we've been playing at the top of the leaderboard, which is nice.
"We feel like we can actually compete, and that obviously brings its own level of anxiousness and nervousness. When you know you can do well, you want to do well.
"It's a sought-after week now. Everybody wants to play. There's guys disappointed. I know from my perspective, my two sons are trying to divvy up when they are going to play, who is going to play. They are both very keen for when I get to 55 because I go up a tee box.
"They are already arguing over it. It's encouragement to get out there and play golf, and to have something to focus at this time of the year is brilliant.
"To be able to play with either son is fun. You're very proud when they hit a shot. Paddy hit one down 16 today, and it was as good as any pro could hit. He hit it on 13, drove it 30 feet from the hole in the front bunker. I was going, 'yeah, that's really nice'.
"It's nice when you see your son do something like that. It brings out a lot of joy for the dads. A little bit of stress around the event, too. But I think you wouldn't miss it for the world."
The three-time major winner added it's "harder when there's two of us because you're playing for somebody else. I think when you're on your own, you're accepting of what happens and you just keep going. You don't want to mess it up for the other, and that can definitely make it tougher."
To laughter, Paddy responded that, "I hit it in the water on 17, and I definitely saw you sweating".
Asked how they will decide who plays once Ciarán - who made his debut in the tournament last year - and Paddy get older, Harrington replied, "It will be a long-drive competition. That will decide it in the future."
