Golf: Harrington on a charge

PADRAIG Harrington had good reason to feel confident going into round three of the EUR6m Players' Championship in Florida today.

But that was the last feeling the Irishman wanted. Past experience has taught him that.

"I seem to play better with fear than I do with confidence basically," said Harrington, joint fifth and only three shots behind American leaders Jerry Kelly and Kevin Sutherland halfway through golf's richest-ever event.

Last year the 32-year-old world No.13 did not feel great about his game, but led by two at the same stage, shared top spot with a round to go and eventually finished joint second, earning EUR500,000.

"I get very aggressive when I am playing well. When I am not playing well I select the shots much better.

"I play defensive when I need to and when a chance comes I tend to take it. I am always a better player when I am not confident.

"Some holes here you have to be patient and play to the middle of the greens, depending on how the pins are set up in the wind. You have got to keep on top of your mental game out there and that seems to suit me.

"But this is (only) my fourth tournament of the year. It takes me a while to warm up and get into things. That's just the nature of my game and if it doesn't happen this week, then so be it."

Sutherland and Kelly are two ahead of world No.3 Ernie Els and hot Aussie Adam Scott, while alongside Harrington sits world No.2 Vijay Singh.

Many expected Tiger Woods, the man who leads the world ladder, to be home by now after the waywardness of his opening 75. But he eagled his second hole yesterday, lipped out for another and with a 69 made it through with two shots to spare.

England's Ian Poulter is one under and Ulster's Darren Clarke one over - he finished his second round bogey, double bogey, birdie. Colin Montgomerie, Justin Rose and Nick Faldo squeezed in on two over.

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