Garcia ready for British Open bid 

Sergio Garcia believes this week's European Open at the London Club represents ideal preparation for the links golf he will encounter in the British Open at Royal Birkdale later this month.

Garcia, beaten by Ireland's Padraig Harrington in a playoff for the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie, said the Jack Nicklaus-designed Heritage course on the outskirts of the capital had a links feel to it.

"It is in very good shape, it has got a links kind of look," the Spaniard told reporters on the eve of the event that was staged at the K Club in Ireland from 1995-2007. "I heard good things about this course and I wanted to take a look.

"My dad (Victor) played here in a Seniors Tour event last year and he told me the course was nice."

Such was Garcia's keenness to experience the 7,257-yard, par-72 London Club, he decided to start his Birkdale preparations here and give the Scottish Open a miss.

"Instead of playing at Loch Lomond (next week) I will practice at home and get ready for the British Open," said the 28-year-old, making his first appearance in Europe since winning the Players Championship in Florida in May.

Despite leading for much of last year's championship at Carnoustie, Garcia was pipped to the title by Harrington in a four-hole playoff.

Open demons

But the world number eight said it did not take him long to exorcise his British Open demons.

"It just took a couple of days," said Garcia. "I feel like I gave it my best and came up probably half-an-inch too far left," he added referring to the putt he narrowly missed on the last hole of the regulation 72.

"Everything happens for a reason. If I wasn't meant to win the British Open last year there must be a reason for it. It is just a matter of waiting for it and seeing what happens in the future."

Harrington, locking horns with Garcia on British soil for the first time since Carnoustie, is still chasing his first European Tour victory since lifting the famous claret jug almost a year ago.

"My performances have just come shy of winning and it is important to win out here," said the 36-year-old Irishman.

"There have been plenty of top-10s and top-fives to keep me going but the wins are definitely the most important part."

Harrington, though, was also keen to keep things in perspective.

"I finished 36th at the U.S. Open which certainly seemed like a catastrophe when I got home," he said. "I remember one guy coming to my house and saying, 'What happened last week, it really wasn't a good week for you'.

"It may have been 36th at the U.S. Open, which is not what you want ideally, but it wasn't as if my game was falling apart. I can't look back at the week and say I did much wrong...I just didn't hole any putts."