text: No need to tell Padraig Harrington what a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago he stood on the same spot on the same practice ground at the same tournament, the Houston Open, looking as crestfallen as I have ever seen him. Now look at him. There’s an obvious contentment as he hits a few shots and breaks off to chat with his long-time caddie, Ronan Flood. He’s taking in the surroundings with the grateful bearing of a man handed an unlikely lifeline. In short, here’s a three-time major champion who’s got his mojo back. Three time major winner Padraig Harrington has rediscovered his form ahead of the Masters . The Irishman practices during the pro-am before the start of the Houston Open in Texas . The small miracles that occur in this game. A month ago Harrington had fallen outside the world’s top 300 when he accepted an invitation to play in the Honda Classic in Florida. He ended up winning his first tournament in America since the 2008 USPGA Championship. How on earth does that happen? First, let’s return to the depths of despair. ‘Last year? Yeah I was devastated, there’s no other word for it,’ he admits. ‘I thought all along I’d do something that would get me to the Masters. A year earlier I’d been in contention to win and now I wasn’t good enough even to start. It was a huge shock.’ It was the first major championship this century for which he’d failed to qualify and he ended up watching it sulking on the sofa at home. ‘It was very tough,’ he says. ‘I watched it all and it wasn’t nice. Even though I was out of form, you always think you have a chance at any major, so I was gutted to miss out.’ Harrington had falled out of the world's top 300 before accepting an invitation to the Honda Classic . The 43-year-old ended up winning the tournament after a play-off victory against Daniel Berger . He looked for all the world like he would miss out this year as well until that dramatic play-off victory in the Sunshine State. The spoils of success included an invitation to Augusta. Ask him about next week and he sounds like a kid who’s just discovered chocolate. ‘I feel like I’m going to play in the Masters for the first time, I’m that excited,’ he said. ‘It’s funny, all my family are going this year, while in other years it was, like:“Ah, not to worry, we’ll wait and go another year.” Now that I’ve missed one they’re fearing this will be the last time they will have the chance. ‘As a player, a bit of that creeps in as well. When you’re playing great you think you’re never going to miss these events. But hopefully I shall play well for a while now. That’s been my thing over the years. It’s always been about peaks and troughs and keeping the peaks for as long as you can. My wins tend to come together so hopefully I’ll win a few more now.’ Harrington was 'devastated' after failing to qualify for last year's Masters following poor results . The Dunliner kisses the famous Claret Jug after winning the 2008 Open at Royal Birkdale . Harrington's recent upturn in form began after winning the Indonesia Open at the end of last year . Two of his wins together were the Open and USPGA in 2008. So, as the last player to go to Augusta looking for a third straight major victory, how does he rate Rory McIlroy’s chances? ‘The good thing is that expectation is already at saturation point, so I don’ t think that will be an issue,’ he said. ‘Every week he’s the main man so he’s used to it. I think the main issue for Rory is that so many other players are playing so well. Take Dustin Johnson. Rory’s big thing was that he’d hit a driver everywhere while most players would hit three wood. And he’d hit it straight so that made him not just long but doubly long. But Dustin does the same thing – and he’s 20 yards longer than Rory. ‘Having said that, Rory has shown when he has his A game he wins. I’d go there with the attitude that if I win the Masters next year it’ll still be the career grand slam. He’s just got to try and stay out of his own way as much as he possibly can.’ Harrington, of course, knows all about this mental side of the game, having read every volume on the subject. Rory McIlroy heads to Augusta looking to complete a grand slam of winning all four majors . The world No 1 faces competition from Dustin Johnson and his mammoth drives . Last summer he started working with Steve Peters, the renowned psychologist who helped Britain’s cycling team to glory and is now working with Liverpool football club and England. Harrington was one of the 200,000 people who bought Peters’s book ‘The Chimp Paradox.’ Basically, it’s about how to manage your inner chimp - the part of the brain that runs on emotions and gut instincts. ‘He has really helped me out,’ said Harrington. ‘He’s helped me rediscover some essential truths about my game. I’d lost my confidence in my ability to read greens, for example, whereas before I thought there was no-one I’d rather read a 10ft putt to win a major. So that huge change in belief led to a lot of tentative strokes. ‘As for my inner chimp, well he’s not angry. I don’t throw clubs or lose my temper. He’s an introvert, but he’s very devious. He needs a lot of reassuring and he was definitely doing a lot of damage. But rediscovering those essential truths have helped me put my chimp back in his box.’ And long may he keep him there. Harrington has been working with Steve Peters (left) who has also worked with Roy Hodgson's England team .
target: Padraig Harrington had fallen out of top 300 before winning Honda Classic .
  Irishman returns to the Masters after failing to qualify last year .
  The three times major winner tips Dustin Johnson to challenge Rory McIlroy at Augusta .