Padraig Harrington will defend his British Open title at the risk of aggravating a wrist injury which would have resulted in him withdrawing from any other tournament.
The Dubliner managed only nine holes of practice at Royal Birkdale today and steered clear of any shots from the rough that might have aggravated his injured right wrist.
"I know I will not get through 72 holes this week without going in the rough and the biggest worry is if I do something that will flare it up and give me a problem," he admitted.
"If it wasn't the Open I would have pulled out. I would have come for treatment and then decided I could not risk it. But because it's Open week I will definitely make the effort."
Harrington's suffered the injury after successfully defending his Irish PGA title on Saturday.
After returning to his home, he hit balls for two hours outdoors and then worked indoors striking an impact ball, which may have been how he incurred the injury.
"I felt something and on Sunday I couldn't lift a club even to chip," he said.
Harrington was encouraged however by the fact that he felt no pain today.
"I'm taking anti-inflammatories as it is and I will probably protect the wrist in the tournament. But I didn't today because I wanted to see how it was."
It was not all gloom however. "Know the best thing about a wrist injury?" Harrington asked reporters. "It makes you forget about having a neck injury."
Harrington had earlier admitted that last year's triumph at Carnoustie had taken its toll.
"There was a period just before Christmas where I overdid things," he said.
"I did far too many interviews and tried far too much and I really was fatigued. I did struggle.
"I got sick at the start of this year with shingles again, a sign of stress and fatigue.
"But I wouldn't give it up. That's all part of being the Open Champion, winning your first major."
Harrington's win at Carnoustie could not have happened under any more dramatic circumstances as he won in a four-hole play off against unlucky Sergio Garcia of Spain after slumping to a nervy double-bogey six at the 72nd hole.
Since then though he had been without a win up until last week when he repeated his plan of action of 12 months ago by competing in the relatively low-tier Irish PGA Championships on a links course in County Wicklow.
He comfortably won that and said: "It was an excellent exercise and I couldn't have asked for a better week in preparation."
"I don't think it puts me a shot ahead of anybody else but it will certainly save me shots and make my golf better at Birkdale.
"It is always better to get that winning feeling. It's a nice habit to stick with."
