At least, that’s the view of Harrington’s shrink Dr Bob Rotella, who reckons the race for nine automatic places in Colin Montgomerie’s side to face the US at Celtic Manor could have been a huge factor in yet another major disaster for his biggest client.

Asked if Harrington had a mental block at the majors these day, Rotella said: “Well you seem to think so. I don’t think that way. Maybe it was just this Ryder Cup thing.”

Ireland’s triple major winner double bogeyed his final hole on Saturday morning to miss the cut for third time in a major this season alone and the fourth time in eight major starts since his US PGA win at Oakland Hills two years ago.

As a result, the Rathfarnham sat out the last two rounds knowing that his latest flop could leave him needing a Ryder Cup wildcard for the first time since he won the first of five caps 11 years ago.

Harrington insists that the Ryder Cup is only fifth on his list of priorities at the start of every Ryder Cup year.

But Rotella’s comments on the “Ryder Cup thing” suggest that Harrington’s latest major reverse was brought on by the pressure of trying to avoid a similar PR disaster that struck Ian Poulter two years ago.

A top-two finish by Germany’s Martin Kaymer in last night’s US PGA could save Harrington’s Ryder Cup bacon and leave him inside the top nine in the Ryder Cup standings this morning.

But there are still two weeks to go before the side is finalised at Gleneagles, where Montgomerie must add three wildcards to the nine automatic qualifiers at the conclusion of the Johnnie Walker Championship.

Had Poulter travelled to Scotland two years ago, he could have qualified automatically for Nick Faldo’s team and avoided the need for a controversial wildcard.

But he decided to play in the FedEx Cup playoffs instead and bid for a potential $10m pay-off – sparking speculation that he had been given “the nod” by Faldo.

Harrington was critical of Poulter’s decision at the time but he is now in the same boat having opted not to change his schedule and skip the first US Tour play-off event and travel to Scotland instead.

He said: “At the end of the day, nobody who doesn’t qualify deserves automatically to be picked. I know at the end of the day it is the decision of the captain. I have worked hard, tried hard and there is no point in overdoing things. If I get picked I want to be ready to play and if it doesn’t happen, I will be disappointed but there is not more I could have done.”

Montgomerie and Harrington have spoken about the Dubliner’s Ryder Cup struggles and the Scot is likely to give him a pick if he needs one.

Hinting that he is confident the will be given a wildcard, Harrington said: “I’ve spoken to Monty and he’s very encouraging. As I say, I think he’d love to see me qualify. It would make his life a lot easier.

“But his life in not going to be easy, no matter what. Whoever qualifies automatically, he’s still going to have to pick three from six.”

As for his decision not to travel to Scotland, Harrington argued that it gives him a better chance of being in decent form when the matches start on October 1.

He was exhausted in 2006 and 2008 Ryder Cups, he knows that he can’t afford to arrive feeling exhausted for a third time on the trot.

He said: “I’m going to stay with my schedule. I feel like I’m playing really good golf and just want to concentrate just on keeping it going, not crossing the world too much and be competitive when October comes round.

“Certainly that would be my theory. I set out a schedule at the start of the year to peak for the four Majors and the Ryder Cup and I’m going to stick with that.”

One of Europe’s stalwart in 2002 and 2004, Harrington was a shadow of himself in 2006 and after inning two majors in a row in 2008, he performed well below par at Valhalla.

He said: “There’s no doubt, I think if you get picked you have a real incentive to go and prove yourself, that’s for sure.

“I think I was burnt out the last time, no doubt about it. I like the course in Wales and quite look forward to being there.

“As I said, it’s down to the captain’s opinion now. He has plenty of choices. There’s no doubt about that and some of us are going to be disappointed. I just hope he can look through to the solid form.”

Harrington was referring to his run of 16 top 10 finishes – but no wins – since last year’s US PGA.

He was asked by Montgomerie to show some form following a chat during The Open at St Andrews two weeks ago.

The Scot feared that it might be difficult to justify picking an out of form Harrington but the three-time major champion came up trumps by finishing second in the Irish Open and ninth in the Bridgestone Invitational in the run up to Whistling Straits.

His main priority these days is to add to his major haul but he admits that he is under massive pressure to produce the good from day one these days.

He said: “I know I have a great chance of winning any major when I tee it up so coming into each one I am under pressure from the start. There is no hiding and it is part of being a three-time major winner.

“You can’t hide from the spotlight. I don’t think I will change anything but I know I get it right some weeks and when I do I’ll win some more majors.”

As for the Ryder Cup, the Dubliner cannot afford to be seen to criticise a money-spinning event that bank rolls the European Tour every four years.

He insists it’s the next most important event after the four majors and more important that the $10m FedEx Cup series.

But by opting not to travel to Gleneagles, he is showing that that is not really the case.

Reflecting on the duffed four wood into a hazard at Whistling Straits’ 18th hole that caused him to make the double bogey that ended his US PGA hopes and damaged his Ryder Cup chances, he said: “It would be silly to think that my last shot there is going to cost me a position on the team.”

In other words, Montgomerie is going to give the Dubliner a pick if he needs one.

After all, few captains can afford to leave out a three-time major winner, even if he is struggling to produce the golf that made him a world beater in the first place.

Turnberry is famous for the 1977 “Duel in the Sun” when Tom Watson outgunned Jack Nicklaus in a birdie fest. But Harrington believes the tougher the conditions, the better his chances of becoming the first man to win three Claret Jugs in a row since Australian Peter Thompson pulled off the feat in 1956.

He's off. Harrington tries Turnberry.

“The three majors I have won on have been three of the toughest courses you can find on the major rota – Carnoustie and Birkdale and obviously Oakland Hills.

“If anything the course is in too nice condition. It is green and lush and pristine out there. So I am hoping for another two months of dry weather to make it more rough and ready because that is what links golf is all about.

“I want it to be bouncy and fast where you get bad lies and tight lies to that it tests everybody’s mental side as well as the physical side.

“I do prefer when a major is difficult and there are a couple of incidents during the week that are borderline, on the edge.

“I want a couple of pin positions that are really nasty – a storm that gets up or something else that will test the guys. I prefer the mental challenge rather than the physical challenge.

“I’d rather see it when the conditions are throwing up bad bounces, bad breaks and everybody is tested mentally. That’s where my strength is.”

After missing his fourth cut of the season at the 3 Irish Open last week, Harrington is struggling to rediscover the form that saw him back to back Majors last season.

But he believes that if he can get his preparation right, he has an excellent chance of becoming just the fifth player in history to complete an Open hat-trick.

He said: “I know Peter Thomson was the last man to do it and it is rare that someone wins three in a row. But I think I am in with a great chance of doing it. I feel like my game will be ready and that’s all I can ask for.

“All I can control is my preparation and if I get my preparation right there is a fair chance I will be in contention and I know if I am in contention I can go on and win it from there. So the stuff I can control is what I am focussed on and that is about getting myself ready to play.”

Six new tees have added 247 to Turnberry since Nick Price won the Open in 1994 and Harrington regards it as a serious test off the tee.

He said: “I like it and it suits my eye. It is a very good track and you have got to hit it straight off the tee and thread it through those bunkers or decide to lay up. There is a lot of strategy involved.”

Colin Dalgleish and Rory McIlroy at the 2007 Walker Cup venue, Royal County Down.

“I think if you are going to listen to one person in the whole game, Padraig Harrington is the guy to listen to. He has been there and done that.”

With his tour card guaranteed until 2011, Dalgleish believes that Lowry can mix amateur golf with European Tour invites and then go out with a bang in Pennsylvania before turning pro on September 14.

He said: “If he plays in the Walker Cup, I think that the country of Ireland and world golf would think, wow, that’s a classy move. This guy is a bit different. He is not just jumping to turn pro straight away. He is going to play for Ireland in the European Team Championship. He is going to play Walker Cup and that’s a bit special.

“From a personal point of view, he has got a chance to be seriously talked about at that Walker Cup. He is going to be the leading light in the GB&I team. His achievements are extraordinary and I think it is going to put him in front of an American audience where otherwise he would have to start again to do that.

“Commercially it is a great move for him too. But from the point of view of enjoying the game of golf, he has got time on his side and I so pleased that Padraig has come out and said that to Shane.

“There are many professionals that would be telling him to turn pro. We passionately want to have him available for the Walker Cup but I genuinely believe that without question, it is in Shane’s best interests to do that.”

Shane Lowry and Colin DalgleishDalgleish sent Lowry a text just seconds after he holed that tiddler to claim the trophy on the third play-off hole and he’s hoping against hope that the Offaly man will have the sense to see the big picture.

Explaining his argument, Dalgleish said: “His extraordinary achievement allows him to turn pro on his terms. If he had finished second or third that would not be the case. He would probably be bounced into chasing seven invites to try and get enough money to get his card for 2010.

Shane Lowry and Colin Dalgleish

“It is fairy tale stuff and his head must be spinning. When I got back home yesterday I watched it on TV and the shots he was hitting in those conditions in the driving rain on the play off holes were just extraordinary. The three wood he hit on the second play off hole to 15 feet was amazing.

“He is a great lad and a great team player with a lot going for him. He is bright and clearly very talented and this couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy as well. I think this gives him the opportunity to do something a little bit different and it is going to steady him up massively.

“He is going to take inspiration from Rory and others will take inspiration from Shane. I am sure Shane has taken a few pounds off Rory in years gone by. He knows he can beat Rory from time to time.”

Dalgleish is hoping they are not playing for money too soon, but that now appears as unlikely as a Lowry win did seven days ago.