Q. Padraig, you battled all day out there today. What are your thoughts on your final round?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, you know, I got off to a good start. Kept my head down. Like 7-under through 14, I could have been more, doing handstands.
You know, I've had a lifelong problem with getting confident and cocky and I did on the 15 tee box it was such a simple tee shot. 5-wood, a little draw down there, and I just totally didn't get into it enough and then panicked at the last moment and hit a big hook.
It's always plagued me my whole life since I've been a kid. Just get over confident and just don't. I'd be much better off if I got to the 15th hole and there was water everywhere. Probably would've done a better job. I just sometimes just -- it follows me around. I can get overconfident.
Yeah, was all too easy at that stage. Not too easy, but it was an easy shot. I was laying up with the bunker. There is no trouble down there. It's yeah, all going very well. Obviously when you mess up like that everything is tough after that.
I hit some beautiful iron shots all week. Hit a great 9-iron into 16. Hit a great 9-iron into 17. Hit a great wedge into 18.
Yeah, you know, I hit a good first putt on 18. Didn't see that break at all. You know, obviously I missed a putt back up the hill. We are on the Champions TOUR. That's all I'll say about that.
Q. Take us back to that overconfident.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I lost a tournament when I was 18 years of age back -- what was it called, the Irish Youth and I did the exact same thing. Two ahead with three to play and relaxed. I'm much better off in with nerves and tension.
I was just relaxed on 15 and then I did it on 18 tee, 72nd hole at Carnoustie. Couldn't see myself hitting a bad -- that was the exact same. Stood there so confident, and at the last moment I had a little bit of doubt.
If you start off with doubt, when you feel doubt over the ball it doesn't feel so bad. If you start off confident then you feel doubt it's like a blowup. So, yeah, so I was just too confident. Happens.
Q. Over the course of your career have you tried to find tools to deal with that little issue?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, you know, like when I went to the playoff I was at a two-shot lead playing the fourth playoff hole at Carnoustie. All I kept telling myself walking from the 17th to the 18th, because I'd done it again for the eight-footer for birdie on the third playoff hole. Lost all the intensity.
I kept telling myself I could still lose. I'm the only person that has to walk on to the tee and I'm trying to get myself going by saying, it's not over; whereas I think on 15 I am relaxed and thinking, you know -- not that you think it's over, but I just rushed into the shot and it was just -- didn't give it its due respect.
Q. At this point in your career, as you said, it's on the Champions TOUR. What are the juices on a Sunday afternoon when something is at stake and you've been in those positions?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Clearly I was off the lead today so I felt good going out. I think it's harder when you're leading a tournament, you're defending all day. I was off the lead and got a good start so I had the momentum. Things were going for me. I was hitting it well. I was holing putts.
Everything was going in my favor. That's a nice place to be. I think, yeah, look, if you didn't get anxious and nervous you wouldn't miss three-footers on the last green. So, yeah, you're trying and, yeah --
Q. Just missed your putt.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Oh, mine was -- I wish mine had a break. Actually I couldn't see that break. I was surprised the ball broke so much at the hole there, my first putt coming down there.
Q. Would you have had the same issue you're talking about if you didn't have a two-shot lead and weren't playing so well over the last five or six holes?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I think -- it depends. I think I would have less of an issue with 15. 15 just isn't an intimidating tee shot. I wasn't going to bed last night thinking about the tee shot on 15. Probably going to bed thinking about the tee shot on 14 because that's a tough tee shot.
15, off that tee it's 5-wood. It's a nothing. You know, that's what kind of way you dump it down there short of the bunker. Yeah, so it's more to do with the intensity of the shot.
Q. Did you feel like --
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: (Watching TV.) That was a great shot.
Q. Well, your shot I was pretty good too.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Well, I had to hit my shot. His foot slips?
Q. Yeah.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Wow. Really was a great shot.
Q. Did you feel like you settled it down at all after what happened at 15 and 16?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: You know, well, I hit good iron shots on 15, good two putt, ran the ball at the hole. Hit an average tee shot. I started out this week and I drove the ball unbelievably well on Thursday.
Really, really happy with my driving.
Then I just lost my way. I was driving well, but my iron play has been the best it's ever been. In many ways I'm leaving here, I putted great today. I hit my irons great.
Yeah, I didn't hit my driver well, but sometimes I lost my way with that. But I don't feel like -- I feel good about things. So, yeah, extremely disappointed not to win. I'm just so praying that Angel two-putts the last and I'll feel a little bit better.
But, yeah. One of those things, yeah. What can I say? If I start my round on 15 at 10 under par I think I would've finished probably better than 10-under par.
But I just ran out of steam. Yeah. There you go.
Q. The long putt on 14 after the rule situation, looked like there was some birdie dropping.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It was a big lump of bird -- I wasn't sure how much I could scrape it. I know you can brush it off, but I had to actually scrape it off the green.
I hit my second shot, that's about as -- it was a really great second shot, 6-iron to there, so what was it, 30 feet? To get it on that plateau, that's probably the toughest pin on the golf course.
So, yeah, I was thrilled to hole the putt. Maybe, yeah, maybe gave me just a bit of, you know -- just think the tee shot on 15 was just too easy.
That's it. You know, that's what it was. I was careless. That's it. Yeah.
Q. You said it was a 4-wood --
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: 5-wood.
Q. Had you hit 5-wood all week?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: 5-wood, yeah. No. I had hit 5-wood one of the days; 3-wood twice with a little cut of the bunker.
Today was 5-wood, 260 into the wind; was more 270, but tended down. I think I wasn't trying to cut it. I was trying to draw it into the wind.
Then, you know, top of the backswing I'm thinking, don't push it down the right. Very simple. If I could do -- if I had the ability to do what I say, I would be the best player in the world, wouldn't I?
Unfortunately I don't.
Q. Obviously Angel is in great position here. Wasn't out here for a while. What are your thoughts and how has the reception been as he gets back out here and in contention for stuff?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I'd just really like him to two-putt, and he's not. Oh, God. (Watching TV. )
Yeah, look, I'm disappointed now. Yeah, could be a lot more disappointing if he doesn't hole that, yeah.
Okay. Thank you guys.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports