Harrington?s preparation for new season hit by attack of shingles
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What are these?
By Karl MacGinty
Friday January 25 2008
BRITISH OPEN champion Padraig Harrington?s preparations for the new season have been dealt another illness blow.
Harrington has been placed in isolation at his Rathmichael home after being diagnosed with shingles.
Medics believe the virus could have contributed to the neck muscle spasms which badly hampered the Dubliner during last week's Abu Dhabi Championship.
The highly-contagious condition has forced Harrington to cancel plans for his Scottish swing coach Bob Torrance and putting guru Dr Paul Hurrion to visit him at home this week.
Ireland?s World No 10 had not been unduly concerned when he developed a rash on his return from Abu Dhabi, suspecting it to be a heat related after his visit to The Arabian Gulf.
Diagnosis
However, his fitness specialist, Dr Liam Hennessy immediately pinpointed shingles and sent Harrington straight to The Blackrock Clinic, where that diagnosis was confirmed.
Harrington had originally intended flying straight from Abu Dhabi to San Diego for this week?s Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, venue for June?s US Open.
Yet he abandoned plans for the marathon 15-hour journey from the Gulf to Southern California a few weeks back after his midwinter training programme had been interrupted by illness during the Festive Season ... a stroke of good fortune given this week?s events.
Harrington expects to return to competitive action in the AT&T National Pro-Am in Pebble Beach on Thursday week, where he?ll team up once again with JP McManus.
According to Shingles.Com , it's an infection caused by a reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, which is the same virus as chicken pox and is very painful. It could take weeks to overcome and isn't really contagious to others. But after only a couple of weeks since getting them Harrington is making the trip from Ireland to Pebble Beach, which will start a four-week swing for him, including the Northern Trust, Match Play and the Honda Open.
Although his press conference today he seems fine. Not sure..
THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome the 2007 British Open champion Padraig Harrington to the interview room here at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, your first start in the 2008 season on the PGA TOUR. We haven't seen you in quite a while out here on this side, at least since the Target World Challenge. Talk a little bit about your off-season coming into this year on TOUR.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, I think I've played two tournaments in the last ten weeks, so most of that time I've been off. I've been practicing, practicing pretty hard, and then in the gym getting ready.
I had a couple of illnesses that sort of stopped me in my tracks, but certainly the month of January I feel I've gotten some good work done. I wouldn't say I'm 100 percent ready to -- I'm not 100 percent competitive, but I'm 100 percent ready to go.
