Harrington - wary of stalking Tiger.

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Padraig Harrington reckons that one thought will quickly come into the mind of anybody making a good start to the USPGA championship on Thursday.

How's Tiger doing?

"Every player, if they're going well, will have a quick look to see where Tiger Woods is," said Harrington.

"He definitely has a slight mark on the rest of the field, that's for sure. Everybody looks at how Tiger is doing. It's a natural reaction."

Woods, of course, is the hot favourite at Baltusrol in New Jersey. How could it be otherwise after finishes of first, second and first in the first three majors of the season?

While the world number one was leading from start to finish at St Andrews Harrington was back in Ireland, his father having died on the Monday night of Open week.

The 33-year-old Dubliner played in Germany the following week, but came only 40th and he admits that the final major of the year feels like a new start for him rather than the end of something.

"It doesn't give me great hope for the week because I feel like I've kind of been out of things for a while," he added.

"Normally when you go to play at a major you want to have some competitive edge going into it and I'm sort of missing that at the moment.

"But emotionally I'm reasonable comfortable about it all. I feel like I want to go and play.

"If I get into the tournament and get into contention obviously there's a bit of an adrenaline rush and that helps things.

"But I don't know what to expect. I'm doing everything I can, trying not to overdo things, and then it's a little bit of hope really. It's not like I can predict anything - I just have to go with the flow and see what happens."

Harrington was among those encouraged by the way Woods lost his aura of invincibility following the 2000 season. But the way he has performed in the biggest weeks this season has got everybody worried again.

"When he first came on the scene he was only a kid with lots of talent," said Harrington.

"In 2000 he was a phenomenal player that nobody could touch.

"I think he's still a great player, but he's probably not as untouchable as he was. In 2000 he was unbeatable because he probably believed he was unbeatable.

"Now he's an experienced pro. He's had some highs and lows and obviously some of that confidence is gone, but he's more experienced and doesn't need it."

Asked if he felt intimidated by Woods he replied: "I'm intimidated by myself.

"If I'm ever in contention with anybody it's me I'm worried about, not the other guy. That's all I can deal with."

Right from the time his father was diagnosed with inoperable cancer of the oesophagus in March, Harrington has been aware that he would have tough times coping emotionally on the course, especially when in the hunt for a title.

He had his second US Tour victory of the year in June, but coming down the closing stretch trying to land a first major would obviously be a greater test.

"I can't predict what's going to happen. When I'm on the course I'll be trying to focus, but if I'm in contention maybe there will be an emotional element to it because it's been such an emotional year."

Woods kept to his usual routine of making a dawn start to his practice round today, and afterwards said: "You've really got to hit your ball well here because the penalty is very severe."

This will be his first tournament at the course, but he said: "With a lot of new tees it's completely new to a lot of the guys who played (the US Open) in '93, so it doesn't hurt me as much.

"But it's always nice to have more experience on the course because you can always draw upon those experiences."

Except for a poor putting display at Pinehurst in June's US Open, Woods would have had the chance for golf's first-ever Grand Slam of all four majors in one year. He takes a positive view of that.

"To putt that poorly and still have a chance to win (he finished two behind Michael Campbell), that's when you know you're hitting the ball pretty good," he added.

"I was excited about that and I continued that at the Western (2nd) and obviously at the British and the Buick (2nd) as well."

Woods won three majors in 2000 - only the Masters eluded him then and he took that in 2001 for a so-called Tiger Slam - so not surprisingly he is laid-back about the possibility of doing it again.

He added: "The novelty factor is not there any more. I've already done it. Hopefully I can do it again.

"I feel just as confident.

"I'd have to say my iron play is probably better now than it was in 2000. My driving is not probably as good, but I'm hitting it 20 to 30 yards further, my short game is better and my putting is just as good, but it's been sporadic this year."

"The drive is still the same to go out and win, to put myself there and hopefully come out on top. That hasn't changed."