If I wasn't playing golf I'd be spilling ice-cream over myself watching the shopping channel

"Why do I want to win this tournament so bad? That's something that I wrestle with on a daily basis.

- BY MICHAEL SCULLY

Harrington listened intently to what Scheffler said, but he struggles to understand where the American star is coming from.

"I'm not sure what he was trying to articulate," said the 53-year-old. "I know I'm still celebrating my US Open senior win, and it goes on for weeks.

"Every time somebody says 'well done' to me, I get a little bit of acceptance and enjoyment out of it.

"He was trying to articulate something. I don't want to compare myself to him, but I genuinely still have a real love for this game. I enjoy every bit of it.

"It brings me tremendous satisfaction, and I don't think I have to shy away from that. Just because I love golf doesn't make me a bad father or a bad parent or anything.

"They're separate entities. You can enjoy everything there is about golf and still be good elsewhere and do the right things.

"If I wasn't doing this, I'd be sitting in front of the shopping channel, spilling ice-cream on myself, buying packages that I never open.

"So maybe golf is saving my life."