30/08/2008 12:07 PM
Padraig Harrington has won two major championships this year but is in serious danger of failing to qualify for the grand finale of the PGA Tour season.
Only the top 30 players on the points standings after next week's BMW Championship qualify for the following event, the Tour Championship.
Harrington came into this week's Deutsche Bank Championship 23rd in the standings, but is almost certain to miss the cut after a miserable three-over-par 74 in Friday's opening round at the Boston TPC.
If he misses the cut, he will drop a long way outside the top 30 on the standings, and will need a stellar performance next week to climb back for the Tour Championship.
The prospect of the Tour Championship being played without Harrington and the injured Tiger Woods must be worrying for commissioner Tim Finchem, who already has seen television ratings plummet to minuscule levels since Woods left the competitive scene in June.
Ian Poulter, never afraid to venture an opinion, believes it is outrageous that Harrington might not qualify for the Tour Championship.
"It amazes me that Padraig could have an average week this week and next week and not be in the Tour Championship," Poulter said.
"He's won two majors, for Christ's sake. How can you have a double major winner that very year not make the Tour Championship?
"That's complete and utter nonsense. Do you think Coca-Cola [sponsor of the Tour Championship] will be happy if a double major winner is not there?"
Harrington's predicament is a result of the tour's revamping the way points are awarded in its four-event play-off series.
Players who miss the cut in the first two events drop precipitously in the standings, and Harrington missed the cut last week and is likely to do so here.
Conversely, a player who barely scraped into the 144-man field for the first play-off event last week could quite easily win the play-off series, and its $10 million payout.
"I find it mind blowing you can win $10 million for getting hot for two weeks," said Poulter. "That freaks me out - it's nuts."