Harrington - working on his game (Getty Images).

Padraig Harrington was not your man if you wanted a player to talk up his chances of ending the 35-year European drought at the US Open.

Asked in the scorching heat of Pinehurst to describe the state of his game Harrington came up with a two-word response you would never hear from Tiger Woods.

"Pretty shabby," said the Dubliner.

But before his supporters lose faith Harrington was quick to point out that this was only Tuesday and he often, if not always, feels the same at this point in his preparations.

"I'm the sort of person that I always look to my weaknesses before I start a tournament and try and get them up to strength," he said.

"On a practice day I'm focused on the weakest part of my game and that's why I would look and say 'Well, I'm not quite ready yet.'

"There's always the same feeling every tournament, certainly every major, that I'd like another week.

"It was always the same whenever you were doing an exam, wasn't it?

"I'm not a great person for going in with confidence, but I've won when I felt my game was shabby and I've won when I've played shabbily through the event."

Harrington, no longer a member of the world's top 10 after missing the halfway cut in Maryland last week, is working hard with American sports psychologist Bob Rotella to be in the right frame of mind for when he tees off on Thursday with Vijay Singh, who has just lost the world number one spot to Woods again.

"The biggest thing is to be mentally strong these next two days and to practice well so I don't need nine or 18 holes on Thursday to get into it."

Harrington did not play the 1999 US Open at the North Carolina course, but paid a visit six weeks ago.

It was very different then, though. "Now the rough is as deep as you would want any rough to be," added the Ryder Cup star, whose victory over Singh in the Honda Classic in March has put an even bigger level of expectation on his shoulders.

"It's giving me a bit of concern. The fairways were a lot wider at Shinnecock last year, but they had the wind there."

Harrington has had three top 10s in his seven US Opens, but says: "I still have the same fears as I had when I first started. I'm a lot better player, but when I'm out there I'm still thinking 'Wow, this is hard.'

"Hopefully the Honda win has an effect, but I don't feel it."

That is hardly surprising after what he describes as a "stop-start" season so far.

Following his victory his father was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. He is comfortable at the moment, but inevitably it played on the 33-year-old's mind when he missed the halfway cut in the Masters in April and his form since has been patchy.

It would be fitting indeed if his wait for a major ends on Father's Day.

Harrington is not fazed by the fact no European has won this title since Tony Jacklin in 1970.

With more of them playing in America now and more courses in Europe being set up with punishing rough he considers it just a matter of time before the barren spell ends.

However, Woods, Singh, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and defending champion Retief Goosen are a formidable quintet to try to overcome for anybody.

And ultimately Harrington is interested only in winning rather than any of the record Europeans in the field.

In fact, he goes as far as to say he would rather see one of his American friends triumph than a European with whom he was not friendly.

If Harrington is searching for slight advantages in the way he prepares he hopes he may have it in the Finnish watch - or "instrument" as it is properly known - he now has to measure the speed, length and angle of his swing.

He has already given about seven of them away, including one to Paul McGinley, and is well aware it is only for practice days and he cannot consult it on the course during a tournament. Such aids are banned.

And now the 29-year-old, world number one for the 343rd week of his career, has an extra incentive - to beat Annika Sorenstam to double figures in Majors.

The Swede drew level in March on eight, Woods then triumphed at Augusta and then Sorenstam won the LPGA title on Sunday.

Woods received a text saying "Nine-nine" from her soon afterwards and when asked today if he ever emulated her he said: "If I could hit it that straight, man.

"I gave her stick for a while because she hadn't won as many as I had. She just kind of surpassed me on tournament victories - by, what, 20! But I always say 'you're a little bit older than I am, so give me time'.

"It's fun to give her the needle every time I get a chance because she gives it right back to me. We have a great friendship and one I certainly treasure.

"It's precise golf. Her focus, her determination, her preparation over the winter months, people don't realise how hard she works.

"We worked on our short games together. She didn't get to this level by just hoping she could play well. She went out and worked.

"It has been great fun to be a spectator of that."