The Masters 2012: Padraig Harrington back in contention despite omen of par-three competition His air of optimism constitutes a vivid contrast to his travails on the same stage last year, when he was forced to withdraw early with a neck strain. Harrington, who highlighted his enduring qualities with a 10-under 61 in Tampa last month, reflected: "My game has been good so far. I just need to trust it a little more. Trusting his swing has been a perennial problem for Harrington, plagued by an intense streak of perfectionism that compels him to iron out the slightest deficiency with brutally long sessions on the range. But he has projected a more serene demeanour here, even remedying the putting nerves that he has described as his "Achilles" heel." "I'm very relaxed about it," he said. I know that my whole game's good and ultimately I'll just let it happen, play away and see what the result is. To reach the rarefied level of a four-time major winner, joining among others Phil Mickelson and Raymond Floyd, Harrington must break the Augusta hex that hangs over any man who prevails in the Masters" traditional par-three competition. He walked off with the prize last week, having been joined for the experience by son Ciaran, and was swift to dispute the superstition that no man who wins the prologue ever goes on to win the tournament proper. "I don't believe in that," he claimed with a grin. Harrington was more promisingly placed for his weekend than Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, another major champion seeking to recapture a past triumph. The Ulsterman had been in formidable form heading into this event, emboldened by strong finishes at Doral and Bay Hill, but has struggled to harness the momentum in a setting that has never suited him. "I was prepped for this week and primed, but after four holes of my first round, the priming was all done," said McDowell, the 2010 US Open winner, who has missed his last two cuts at Augusta. I've won a major championship, but I don't always come here expecting to compete. My Masters record gives me a dose of reality when I realise what I've done here - which is nothing. Charl Schwartzel was also discovering how notoriously difficult it could be to defend a Masters title. Only Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus have ever done so, and the South African appeared unlikely to append his name to that roster as he slipped back to four over halfway through his third round. Even the presence of Woods alongside him on Saturday could not galvanise the South African, who electrified Augusta 12 months ago by winning the green jacket with four straight birdies to finish.