Golf Events / Editor / 03 July 2007 /

Padraig Harrington will be gunning for an unprecedented first when he tees up at this week's Smurfit Kappa European Open, roared on by enthusiastic home support at the K Club.

The world number 10 is bidding to become the first player to win a coveted double by capturing the Irish Open and European Open titles in the Emerald Isle during the same season.

Harrington claimed the first leg after a sudden-death play-off against Welshman Bradley Dredge back in May when taking the Irish Open crown and ending a 25-year wait for a home winner of the competition.

Now the 35-year-old, seeking to win the European Open for the first time in his 12-year professional career, is available at 13 to achieve the feat with a top 10 finish priced up at 2.2.

Last season's order of merit winner has certainly produced a mixed bag in the current campaign. An encouraging tied seventh at the Masters was followed by his Irish Open triumph and then a disappointing joint 92nd last month at the US Open.
But Harrington has a decent record in this event, having twice finished tied for second in 2001 and 2002.

The Dubliner will, however, face stiff competition at the K Club with no fewer than five Major and 10 former winners of the trophy in action.
US Open holder Angel Cabrera will be among them, looking to build on his first Major success by scoring another first with victory in Ireland.

Cabrera wrote his name into the history books with his triumph at Oakmont last month, becoming the first Argentinian to lift the famous trophy, having held off the challenges of World number one Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk.

The South American does have a commendable record at The K Club though. He can boast six top-10 finishes in his 11 previous appearances in the tournament, the best of which was as runner-up to Lee Westwood back in 2000.

Given that, it's no surprise that Cabrera is currently trading at 15 to land the spoils.

Should the 37-year-old achieve that feat he would become the third US Open winner to capture the Smurfit Kappa European Open title at The K Club, following in the footsteps of Retief Goosen in 2004 and New Zealand's Michael Campbell two years earlier.

Making up the other Major winners in the field, Campbell and Cabrera are joined by Scottish pair Paul Lawrie and Sandy Lyle, together with Welshman Ian Woosnam.

Two of that trio have already claimed victory in this tournament, Lyle way back in 1978 during his heyday at Turnberry, with Woosie victorious when the event was staged at Sunningdale back in 1988.

Last year's Ryder Cup captain has not completed a Tour event all year because of post-viral fatigue syndrome and his last competitive round prior to this week was an opening 77 in the Irish Open in mid-May.

But he is now back in action, albeit unsuccessful in his attempted to win a place at the Open this month in qualifying at Sunningdale.

Woosnam though insists he's just happy to playing again as he bids to win his first pay cheque of 2007 after an injury-ravaged campaign - and he currently trades at 34 just to make the top 10.

Eight past champions in total will line up at The K Club alongside Campbell, Lyle and Woosnam, and they include Kenneth Ferrie (2005), Phillip Price (2004), Per-Ulrik Johansson (1996 and 1997) and Peter Senior (1990).

Stephen Dodd is the defending champion. Last year he became the third Welsh winner of the European Open, following Woosnam and Price, after finishing on a nine-under-par total, two clear of Jose Manuel Lara and Englishman Anthony Wall.

But Dodd's form has been sadly lacking this season and his tie for 33rd last week in the France Open was his best performance of the year. He is a 200 chance to emulate last season's heroics.

More than 30,000 are expected to descend daily on the K Club for this eagerly-awaited event to cheer on a healthy Irish challenge. That will be led by Harrington but there will be no shortage of vocal support from the galleries for Paul McGinley who enjoyed a share of fourth place in 2006 - a result that helped him make the European Ryder Cup team.

Also on show will be Michael Hoey, Peter Lawrie, Graeme McDowell, Damien McGrane, Gary Murphy and 1995 Ryder Cup star Philip Walton.

Always a crowd favourite, Colin Montgomerie seems to be returning to some kind of form after a tied third place in France last week - although, surprisingly, that was his first top-five finish in over a year.

The Scot is priced at 28 to land his first title since the Hong Kong Open back in December 2005 and can be backed at 7.2 to make it back-to-back top-five successes.

Paul Casey and David Howell return to The K Club for the first time since playing their part in Europe's 2006 Ryder Cup triumph. Howell admits he has struggled with injury this year after finishing third on the order of merit in 2006, but the Englishman is eager to get his season going and he's a 75 shot to claim the title.

The 2007 Smurfit Kappa European Open, which carries a massive prize fund of £2.4m, is now in its 30th year. It is being staged at the K Club for the 13th time, but whether there will be any luck this time around for the Irish remains to be seen.

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