PÁDRAIG Harrington won't be warming up for the British Open at St Andrews with a fourth successive appearance in the Irish PGA, reports BRIAN KEOGH

Instead the Dubliner is toying with the idea of putting on a private event for around 20 friends or teeing it up in the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

To attract Harrington, the Irish Region of the PGA wanted to hold its championship at The Island from July 8th-10th – sandwiching it between the JP McManus Invitational Pro-Am at Adare Manor and the following week’s Open Championship.

But Harrington’s failure to commit to the event forced Irish region secretary Michael McCumiskey to change tack, and the Irish Championship will almost certainly be played in Dublin in late September, clashing with the US Tour Championship in Atlanta.

Harrington said: “I play the JP McManus Pro-Am that week and I would have found it a struggle to play a second pro-am later (at the Irish PGA) in the same week.

“But don’t worry, I will play something that week. I will host my own event if I have to. Or I could go to Loch Lomond. All I need is competition.

“I might have a little event for my close friends. I’m sure we could find 20 pros to tee it up and some of the top amateurs just to make it competitive.”