Padriag Harrington focusing on US Open

Open champion Padraig Harrington said he was skipping next month’s PGA Championship at Wentworth, the European Tour’s flagship event, because it would disrupt his preparation for the U.S. Open.

The 36-year-old Irishman, who won his first major at Carnoustie last year, said he peaked during the third week in a run of tournaments and wanted to time his best form for the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in California, which starts on June 12.

“I feel that I am at my best during the third week of a tournament run, as evidenced by playing two events before last year’s Open Championship,” Harrington told Reuters on Tuesday.

“Therefore, for the same reason I missed the WGC-CA Championship at Doral ahead of the Masters, I have decided not to play in the PGA Championship ahead of the U.S. Open.”

The Tour’s showpiece event, won last year by Denmark’s Anders Hansen, is at Wentworth’s West Course from May 22-25.

Harrington will play the Wales Open over the revamped 2010 Ryder Cup course at Celtic Manor from May 29 and will then play the Stanford St Jude Championship in Memphis in the week before the year’s second major.