What does 2009 have in store for Padraig Harrington?

I think it is fair to say that if 2008 belonged to any player, it was probably Padraig Harrington. The Irish golfer may have missed out on team glory with Europe in the Ryder Cup, but individually, he had a better year than he could ever have imagined.

The 37-year-old won the British Open and the USPGA Championship, a feat that he will do well to repeat in his remaining years as a professional golfer. Harrington also won the PGA Tour player of the year award, the Golf Writer’s Trophy and recognition for the best shot of 2008.

Overall, it was the year dreams are made of for him. But what of 2009? Can he be as successful? Will he win another major? Has he got it in him to improve on 2008?

Well, according to the player himself, he is indeed ‘trying to improve’ his game over the next 12 months. During the off season he has ‘worked out a lot’ with visits to the gym and this has left him in a ‘better position to handle injuries’. This is something that will undoubtedly benefit him during the busy 2009 golf calendar.

Overall, it seems as though Harrington is confident 2009 can be a success for him. There is the return of Tiger Woods to take into account, but having listened to the Irishman recently, you really do get the feeling that he believes he has what it takes to be the best in the world. He is a model golf pro, so there is no doubt that his attitude will help him achieve this aim. Time will tell though, I guess.

As for his first event of 2009, well he was in decent form even though he missed out on victory. At the Abu Dhabi Championship, Harrington finished four shots behind eventual winner Paul Casey. There was a stage when he looked like challenging for victory, but a bogey at the 9th signalled the start of the end.

Nevertheless, it was a solid first display of the year for Harrington and one that will hopefully be just the beginning of another fantastic spell for him. Whenever it came to the major golf news last year, Harrington was never too far away and in all honesty, I expect this to be the case again in 2009.

Good luck Padraig!

By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about golf betting