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Pádraig Harrington walks his dogs, Wilson and Setanta, during the Pro-Am before the Irish Open at The K Club in Straffan, Ireland.
CNN
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Remove the dogs to go for a walk or play golf? Why not both, he said Pádraig Harrington.
Playing a Pro-Am event before his home tournament on the DP World (European) Tour’s Irish Open on Wednesday, the Dublin-born golfer brought his two Bernese Mountain Dogs to keep him company.
Despite the storied career of their owner – a three-time major champion and six-time PGA Tour winner – Wilson and Setanta have never set foot, or set foot, on a golf course, Harrington said a post of X, formerly Twitter.
But the duo looked perfectly at home on the fairways, tongues wagging and tails wagging as they rounded Kildare’s K Club in pursuit of Harrington, attracting plenty of attention as the player signed autographs for fans. after the event.
“Surprisingly good, they want all the attention and hide themselves in the shady areas of the tree,” the 52-year-old added in the post.
Oisin Keniry / Getty Images
Wilson is a popular guest on The K Club.
The dogs’ sense of belonging on the course is further established by the security passes worn around their necks, which match their portraits and confirm Wilson and Setanta’s credentials as a “good boy” and a a “good dog” each.
The excitement of the day seems to have caught up with the pair eventually, however, later post of X from Harrington showing them lying on the kitchen floor.
Harrington, who is set to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame next year, is chasing a 16th win on the European Tour this week and will have added incentive to perform well in front of a strong home support.
Oisin Keniry / Getty Images
Wilson showed his security pass.
A longtime Make-a-Wish ambassador, Harrington, along with fellow countryman Shane Lowry, pledged to donate €500 (about $535) for each birdie and €1,000 (about $1,070) for each eagle. he will get the tournament to the children’s charity.
“If you really do something, it can be very dramatic,” Harrington told reporters Tuesday.
“You have a child who is seriously ill or seriously ill and that can be difficult, but when you do this, you get yourself out of going there and helping and helping a family … it’s amazing . It’s one of the best things you can do in life is help like that.
“It helps us feel good about ourselves, considering how privileged our lives are and how well we do financially with golf, it’s good to be able to give back.”
Lowry and world no. 2 Rory McIlroy, members of the European team heading to Ryder Cup in Italy later this month, both are in action in the tournament, which ends on Thursday.