THE WAY THEY WERE: PADRAIG HARRINGTON, NAIRN DUNBAR 1992

Padraig Harrington pictured before he became famous - at Nairn Dunbar in 1992 (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
I don't know what made me drive all the way from Aberdeen to Nairn in the summer of 1992 to take pictures of Padraig Harrington - but I did! Maybe, my subconscious knew that the Dubliner was going to be something special as a golfer.
The tournament was the Scottish youths open amateur stroke-play championship of 1992, played at Nairn and Nairn Dunbar.
Harrington did not win the title and I regret that I cannot even tell you where the young Irishman finished in the final order. Raymond Russell (Longniddry) was the Scottish open youths champion that year. Raymond had been either 19 or 20 (his birthday is July 26) and Russell turned pro the following year. He has won only once on the European Tour since.
As for Harrington, he was already a Walker Cup player by the time he played at Nairn. He was capped for Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup matches of 1991, 1993 and 1995, the last occasion providing a splendid 14-10 win at Royal Porthcawl over the Americans whose line-up included Tiger Woods (beaten by Gary Wolstenholme on the first-day singles but, and this is often forgotten, Tiger got his revenge over Wolstenholme in the second-day singles).
I digress. Harrington did not turn pro until after the 1995 Walker Cup win. He completed his accountancy degree before he left the amateur ranks - a qualification that must come in handy as he counts his considerable winnings!
Three times a Major champion, perfectionist Padraig has certainly gone on to better things since 1992.