Harrington: No major adjustments

He wouldn't be comfortable any other way.

Much of the attention is focused elsewhere at Augusta National this week, which doesn't seem to bother Harrington one bit. He might be under the radar, but he knows what's at stake: He's the only man in the field who can join an exclusive club, currently boasting only two members, by winning three consecutive majors. But he'll have to win here to do it.

"Obviously you're going for three in a row, it's certainly adding to the story," Harrington said. "But it's gotten to the level that adding any more [pressure] on doesn't make any difference in how I feel.

"It's a major. It's a chance to win another major. It's a chance to win the Masters. All of those things bring their own pressure. Just because it's three in a row, it adds to it, but not significantly."

That's not simply hot air. Few players seem to thrive under the pressure that Harrington has faced recently. The 37-year-old Irish star was unflappable in winning the British Open and PGA Championship last year, overcoming injuries and late deficits, and making the key swings and important putts that always determine the winners in golf's four biggest events, when the world is watching.

Chalk that up to Harrington's blue-collar, lunch-pail work ethic. He wasn't a can't-miss golf prospect; so unsure was he of a career in the game that he earned a college accounting degree, just in case. Paired in the final group at Royal Birkdale last year with Greg Norman, who was attempting to become the oldest winner in major championship history and took a two-stroke lead into Sunday, Harrington was placed in the difficult position of not being the crowd favorite, despite being the defending champion. There was also a wrist injury that nearly forced him to withdraw before the tournament started.

But Harrington pressed on; he responded on that Sunday with steady play, catching Norman early with a string of savvy pars, briefly falling behind at the turn, then ordering a closing kick for the ages, playing the final six holes in 4 under par to win his second straight British Open.

A month later, fighting dehydration at the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills, Harrington authored a similar chapter and verse in the final round. Paired with Sergio Garcia, and starting the final round three shots behind leader Ben Curtis, Harrington closed with a 66, making putts of 20, 8, and 15 feet on his final three holes to win by two shots. Suddenly, it seemed like there was a new sheriff in town; put Harrington near the lead in a major, and he'd somehow find a way to get his paws on the prize.

Detractors? There's some, who would quickly point to one reason the Claret Jug and Wanamaker Trophy are currently living in Dublin.

Because of the knee injury that sidelined him from June until February, Tiger Woods didn't play in last year's British Open or PGA Championship. There's no way of knowing, obviously, if Harrington would have still won had Woods been in the field, but the record books won't be adding an asterisk, and Harrington won't be worrying about things he can't control.

"It's a bad mental outlook to be focusing on one other person," Harrington said. "I could turn up this week and say well, I want to beat Tiger Woods. Well, maybe I beat him by a shot and he finishes 20th and I finish 19th. That's not much good to either of us."

Harrington's game has been good for some time now, starting with the British Open he won at Carnoustie in 2007 - with Woods in the field. That makes three victories in the last six majors, something only Woods and Tom Watson have done in the past 25 years.

His record in the Masters has Harrington backers bullish on their man this week. He finished fifth last year, seventh in 2007, and fifth in 2002; he's only missed the cut once in nine starts, and seems to be collecting the necessary experience at Augusta National to finally break through.

Harrington has pledged to be more aggressive this week, a strategy that would seemingly fly in the face of his normal approach, with those recent results speaking for themselves. But Harrington's strength has been in the tactical way he's studied a situation and chosen the proper path; he's had an uncanny ability, especially lately, of knowing the right way to get around the course in fewer strokes than everybody else. And that, in a nutshell, is what the game is about.

Can Harrington do it?

"Well, it's not going to be easy," said Woods, who along with Ben Hogan are the only winners of three consecutive majors. "I remember trying to do it myself, and it's hard. It's hard to peak [three] straight times. There's a lot of factors that go into it: Having your game come together, playing well at the right time, and on top of that, getting the right breaks."

Harrington's no stranger to success here. In fact, he's already won twice, capturing the Par-3 Contest in 2003 and 2004. He's setting his sights a little higher this time.

"I've got three majors. It's a dream come true for me. Winning major tournaments is amazing," Harrington said. "I'm fully concentrating on what I'm doing . . . In terms of preparing, I've done it as well as I can. Doesn't mean I've done it right, but I've prepared as well as I can."

Michael Whitmer can be reached at mwhitmer@globe.com.