By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Padraig Harrington was supposed to be in the Bahamas this week.

He had planned to take his wife Caroline and their two kids, Patrick and Ciaran, to the Atlantis Hotel where they could swim with dolphins, get up-close-and-personal with sea lions and snorkel with sting rays, among other adventures.

So even though the Irishman knew he was in danger of missing the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, Harrington never said a word. He had hoped he’d earn enough points at last week’s PGA Championship to move inside the top 125 and qualify for The Barclays.

He didn’t, though, holding steady at No. 130, four points out of the top 125. Luckily, though, his wife had checked the standings and she encouraged Harrington to change his plans and enter the Wyndham Championship, the final event of the regular season.

“I thought I was going to get through last week, done enough, but my wife actually made the decision, she says, ‘I think you got to go and play.’” said Harrington, who is making his debut in Greensboro.

“So she was the one who — I have a 7-year-old and 3-year-old.  We only had to tell the 7-year-old we were changing the plans. … One swimming pool is the same as the next to (the 3-year-old). Why don’t you spend two days in Wet ‘N Wild here? They’re not going to see too much of a difference.”

Harrington, who won The Barclays in 2005, was glad his wife stepped in. 
   
“It wasn’t a decision I was going to make and tell the family we’re not going but it was a decision my wife was happy to make on my behalf and say, ‘I think you should get up there and qualify,’” the affable Irishman said.

Haas likes brother on the bag

By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM

GREENSBORO, N.C. — At first, the partnership was supposed to last for just four weeks. But Bill Haas has played so well with his brother Jay Jr. on the bag that the arrangement might last through the end of the 2011 campaign.

“He seems to be having fun with it, and I’m enjoying having him out there,” Bill Haas said.

The first time Jay Jr. caddied for his brother this year was at The Greenbrier Classic — where Bill ended up losing in a playoff to Scott Stallings. He also tied for 12th last week at the PGA Championship with his brother on the bag.

“That’s obviously a nice way to start for him, and for me,” Bill Haas said of The Greenbrier Classic. “He’s having a baby in a few weeks and mini-tour results aren’t paying for diapers right now. So partly I wanted to give him some help, and I needed some help on the course. He’s a good enough player to do that for me.”
 
Jay Jr. played collegiately at Augusta State while Haas played at Wake Forest where he won a school-record 10 tournaments and the Ben Hogan Award that goes to the nation’s top collegiate player. Their father, Jay, won nine times on the PGA TOUR and 15 times on the Champions Tour, including three majors.

While the two are enjoying things, Bill says he doesn’t want the dynamic between the two to switch to simply a player-caddy relationship.

“That’s why I don’t think I want it to go too long,” he said. “… But for right now, it’s just him being my brother on the bag. And he’s hustling. He’s working hard for me and we’re having fun. A few more good finishes and he can kick me off the bag.”

Villegas not feeling extra pressure

By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Camilo Villegas had just completed a TV interview and was headed for the locker room when a man asked him to pose for a picture with a little girl who looked to be about 10 years old.

“How is that ice cream?” Villegas asked as he bent over and gently rested his hands on her shoulders. He was smiling and relaxed, and the young Colombian didn’t even mind when yet another reporter blocked his progress toward the clubhouse.

No matter how he plays this week at the Wyndham Championship, Villegas’ name will be mentioned frequently on TV and in newspaper accounts. That’s because he’s got a target on his back as the bubble boy in the FedExCup standings at No. 125.

Only those ranked 125th or above when the final computations are done on Sunday night gain entry into next week’s Barclays, which is the first of four events in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Villegas has 320 points, a mere .437 of a point ahead of Ernie Els, who is also in the field, and only four points ahead of No. 130 Padraig Harrington, who is playing in Greensboro for the first time.

In fact all but six of the players ranked from No. 126 to 160 are competing this week. And even someone as far back as Skip Kendall, who ranks 257th with just one point, could conceivably make the Playoffs — but only if he wins.

Villegas, though, is taking things in stride. His goals don’t change just because his back is against the wall.

“Obviously I know where I am,” he said. “… We all want to give ourselves a chance to play in the Playoffs but golf doesn’t change. You’ve just got to get on the first tee and give yourself a chance to win a golf tournament.

“It’s been a long year. It’s been a slow year. But that’s the nature of the game. We can’t have great years all the time. As long as you have a good attitude and keep working hard, I know the talent’s in me and everything will be fine.”

Indeed. Villegas is a three-time winner on the PGA TOUR — with the first two of those coming in the Playoffs in 2008, propelling him to a second-place finish overall. He’s had a frustrating season in 2011, though, with just one top-10, a tie for third at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. 

“This is no different than a business,” Villegas said. “And when you are running a business you are try to make the right decisions. It’s always to improve and I think at the beginning of the year I probably got a little too involved with my golf swing. I wanted to get my golf swing what I consider a lot better and understand my golf swing a lot better. Believe it or not I worked this offseason harder than I’ve ever worked in my life in any other offseason.

“Funny enough I wasn’t hitting the shots I wanted to and I lost a little bit of feel and I lost a little confidence and it starts a little snowball effect. Then it took me about three months to realize, you know what, I’ve got to go back to basics and just kind of regroup. When your confidence is a little down, it takes time. I think I’m definitely heading in the right direction. I feel more comfortable. I’ve had a great attitude all year and that’s all I can do.”

A solid performance in Greensboro could give Villegas the momentum he needs.

“I looked at the point system last week and what do I have to do — who knows?” Villegas said with a shrug. “There’s so many different scenarios. The first thing I’ve got to do is give myself a chance to play on the weekend and … if I can continue to focus on my goal which is contend for the tournament I’ll be fine.”

Make your picks: Wyndham Champ.

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By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM GREENSBORO, N.C. — Padraig Harrington was supposed to be in the Bahamas this week. He had planned to take his wife Caroline and their two kids, Patrick and Ciaran, to the Atlantis Hotel where they could swim with dolphins, get up-close-and-personal with sea lions and snorkel with sting rays, among other […]