Harrington gets stitches after being hit by club

Two weeks after Padraig Harrington returned from neck surgery, he was struck in the left elbow by the club of an amateur he was teaching at a clinic.

Two weeks after Padraig Harrington returned from neck surgery, he was struck in the left elbow by the club of an amateur he was teaching at a clinic.

Harrington required six deep stitches because he said the club hit him so flush that it cut into the bursa sac around the joint. He had to withdraw from the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tennessee, and hopes to be out only two weeks.

“There’s no truth to the rumor it was the amateur’s best strike of the day,” Harrington said in a telephone interview Tuesday.

It was no laughing matter Monday at a clinic outside Washington, D.C. Harrington’s first thought was that he had shattered his elbow. When he saw the blood, he rushed to press ice against it immediately.

“Barring me fainting from the shock of pain, once I numbed it up, I couldn’t feel anything,” Harrington said.

Harrington, who tied for 31st at the Memorial last week, said he was trying to teach the amateur how to fix his hook. He was standing to the side, shoulder to shoulder to show the amateur what the swing should look like. Harrington stepped away and the man kept swinging.

“Caught me on the left elbow — middle of the clubface, middle of the elbow,” Harrington said. “I was pretty sure it was broken.”

Harrington said he went to an emergency room, where the doctor treating him had been on call two weeks ago at the Senior PGA Championship at Trump National. He said the stitches were deep to help prevent the area from getting infected, which was his only concern.

Good to go

Rory McIlroy took off more time than he expected after The Players Championship to rest his ailing ribs, but it appears he’ll be ready to go next week at the U.S. Open. McIlroy withdrew from the BMW PGA Championship and then the Memorial.

“I am ready for Erin Hills and looking forward to playing there for the first time,” McIlroy told The Guardian. “The last few weeks have obviously been frustrating — I never like to miss events either on the PGA Tour or European Tour — but it was important I got back to a level of fitness where I felt like I could give myself the best possible chance at the U.S. Open.

“As I have said many times before, majors will ultimately determine my golf career, but I have had the rest of this busy season to consider as well.”

Jack passed

Jack Nicklaus broke the record for most majors when he won the 1973 PGA Championship for No. 14. He won his 16th and 17th in 1980, and then started cutting back on his schedule as he split time among other interests, particularly his kids. Nicklaus used to wonder if he would have won more majors had the previous record been more than it was.

That’s why Nicklaus was so amused when someone mentioned Bernhard Langer breaking his record with a ninth senior major.

“If I’d have known Langer had come along, I would have played more,” Nicklaus said. He was kidding. “I think he’s been a better player as he’s gotten older,” Nicklaus said. “I think he’s an amazingly good player. He’s a good guy. I’m happy for him.”