Profile / Editor / 29 March 2007 / Leave a Comment

There are very few players that can boast to be better than Tiger Woods when going head-to-head with the world number one, but reigning European champion Padraig Harrington can do just that.

Harrington is the only player in the world to have played five times or more with Woods and have a better stroke average - outscoring him 68.83 to 69.50.

The Irishman's superiority over Woods was last seen at the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in Japan at the end of last year, when he beat him in a play-off to cap a momentous season that saw him claim his first European Order of Merit title.

Harrington had been knocking on the door for four of the last five years, finishing as runner-up to Retief Goosen in 2001and 2002 before coming third in 2003 and 2004.

But the European Ryder Cup finally achieved one of his ambitions in 2006, as he mounted a late challenge to dramatically pip Paul Casey and David Howell on the final day of the season in Valderrama.

Harrington has had a low-key start to 2007 as he has divided his time between the European and PGA Tours, but he will be looking for some momentum at the Shell Houston Open this week ahead of next week's US Masters and can be backed at 16 to win and 4.5 to place in Texas.

Harrington built up a reputation as something of a bridesmaid soon after joining the European Tour, as he amassed numerous second-place finishes between 1996 and 2000 after his maiden tournament win at the 1996 Spanish Open.

But the time the 35-year-old has spent working on his game on and off the course has really paid off over the last five years and he is now regarded as one of the most complete golfers in the world.

Harrington has won ten times on the European Tour and twice in America and it would be a major surprise if he doesn't add to his list of honours in 2007.

One of the finest putters and short game exponents in the game, the Irishman has particularly excelled in the past at tight, narrow courses that push golfers' skills to the limit. As far as he is concerned, the tougher the test, the better.

Harrington has finished in the top ten at the US Open four times in the last seven years, while he also has an excellent record at The Players' Championship, where he has twice finished runner-up.

An exceptional shot maker, Harrington is also at home on links' courses - as he showed winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship at St Andrews for a second time in 2006 - and he would like nothing better than to win his first Major at The Open Championship this year.