Pádraig Harrington Embraces the Fear in Milestone 500th DP World Tour Start
At 54 years old and in his 500th DP World Tour start, Pádraig Harrington isn’t just showing up-he’s still grinding, still competing, and, in his own words, still full of fear. That might sound like a strange formula for longevity in professional golf, but for the three-time major winner, it’s exactly what keeps the fire burning.
Harrington carded a one-under 71 in Thursday’s opening round of the Qatar Masters, landing him in a tie for 47th-six shots back of co-leaders Patrick Reed and Patrick Hillier, who each fired impressive 65s at Doha Golf Club. But for Harrington, the scorecard only tells part of the story.
“I’m full of fear,” he admitted after his round. “It’s not being fearless. It’s the opposite of fearless; I play much better with fear.”
That blend of anxiety and acceptance has become a kind of secret weapon for the Irishman. Gone are the days of relentless range sessions and grinding through hours of practice. These days, Harrington is leaning into experience, perspective-and yes, a bit of humor-to keep himself sharp.
“I will say, trying to enjoy it is the only way I can do it,” he said. “As a younger man, you know, I worked hard, grinded, dug in, hit lots of balls, practised, did all the stuff you should do as a young man. But I can't keep that pace up.”
That doesn’t mean he’s coasting. Harrington still puts in the work, just not at the same breakneck pace that defined his younger years. And even though the occasional frustration creeps in-like the dropped shot at the 15th after back-to-back birdies on the 9th and 10th-he’s found a better balance between performance and enjoyment.
“On the golf course, it can still get frustrating when things don't go right,” he said. “But overall, I enjoy the experience more, maybe now than I would have in my younger days.”
While Harrington was navigating his own milestone moment, Patrick Reed was making headlines for different reasons. The 35-year-old Texan, fresh off his departure from LIV Golf, is on a mission to work his way back onto the PGA TOUR-and he’s wasting no time making his case.
Reed came out firing with nine birdies, including six on the back nine for a sizzling 31 coming home. His 65 puts him in a share of the lead alongside Hillier, and it’s clear the momentum is real. After winning the Dubai Desert Classic and narrowly missing out on a playoff win in Bahrain last week, Reed is riding a serious wave of confidence.
“We’re definitely enjoying it a lot right now,” he said. “The game feels solid. I feel like a lot of the work we’ve done in the off-season has really stuck and it’s gone pretty well.”
That’s not just lip service. Reed’s aggressive approach-attacking pins and trusting his short game to clean up the rest-is paying dividends.
“At this point, we’re just riding the confidence,” he said. “Allowing ourselves to go out there and just play a little bit aggressive, attack the golf course, and worst-case scenario, allow my short game to bail me out.”
With the Race to Dubai offering ten dual cards back to the PGA TOUR, Reed’s recent form couldn’t be better timed. But whether it’s a veteran like Harrington finding joy in the grind or Reed chasing a return to familiar ground, the Qatar Masters is already serving up compelling storylines-and we’re just getting started.