Two-horse race HARRINGTON BACKS RORY OR DJ TO MASTER AUGUSTA THIS WEEK
YOUNG IS STUNG
TONY STENSON
The three-time Major winner reckons that if the top two players in the world rankings are at their best this week then nobody can touch them.
Johnson arrives in Georgia on a red-hot streak having won World Golf Championship events in Mexico and Texas already this year.
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy, meanwhile, is just a Masters win away from a career Grand Slam.
All that means that the rest of the field at Augusta will be terrified of the superstar pair according to Harrington.
He said: “The rest will be in fear of them. Johnson has got so much power and goes for his driver any chance he can.
“The only other player I’ve seen use it with such relish was Greg Norman in his prime.
“The Masters is made for big hitters and Rory and Dustin smack it country miles.
“They are t he l eading candidates – bar none.
“If they turn up with their A games then the others will be worried.”
When Harrington lifted the USPGA trophy in 2008 he become only the second player to win two Majors in a year since Mark O’Meara in 1998. The other? A certain Tiger Woods. On the fallen great, Harrington (right) said: “I still believe there is another Major in him.
“He needs to go away, play in tournaments and get fit both physically and mentally.”
And McIlroy insists Woods, missing from this year’s event after more back troubles, is still an inspiration to him, 20 years on from his groundbreaking first win at Augusta.
The four-time Major champ said: “I remember the week vividly. I was only seven years old and sat up until late with my dad in our lounge watching the TV coverage of the Masters.
“I can still recall everything about Tiger’s last round. His dominance that day left everyone mesmerized.
“When you look back on his career it’s just unbelievable what he’s done and what he’s achieved.
“The legacy Tiger leaves is going to be so different to that of some of the other greats of the game.”
If anyone asks Harrington for an outside bet this week, he will point them in the direction of Justin Rose and Shane Lowry.
The double Open champion, recovering from back surgery, said: “Justin has that wonderful ability not to be fazed when he misses putts. He just gets on with it.
“Shane walked away from the US Open knowing he could have won and that helps his confidence now.”
On the chances of Danny Willett defending the title he won 12 months ago, Harrington simply said: “He has no chance – and I mean this in the nicest possible way.
“Defending any Major is pressure and I get the feeling he’ll be happy to get through this and then return to his normal game.” Sky Sports will show all four days of The Masters live with
Padraig Harrington part of its coverage at Augusta. SEAMER Nuwan Kulasekara took four wickets as Sri Lanka cruised to victory in the third and final one-day international against Bangladesh to level the series at 1-1. Half-centuries from Kusal Mendis and Thisara Perera took Sri Lanka to 280-9 then Kulasekara (4-37) struck to skittle the visitors for 210 in the 45th over. WASPS saw their European dreams go up in smoke at the Aviva Stadium yesterday.
Leinster were simply too good for them as Isa Nacewa, Robbie Henshaw, Jack Conan and Fergus McFadden all scored tries in a 32-17 victory.
Johnny Sexton converted three of those and added two penalties while Christian Wade and Jimmy Gopperth were the away players to cross the whitewash.
Gopperth added the rest of the points with his boot but it was nowhere near enough to keep his side in the Champions Cup.
There was better news for Bath in the Challenge Cup, though, as they beat Brive 34-20 after scoring five tries.