Did anyone see a 61 at Innisbrook?

"I did. I watched it," said Geoff Ogilvy, who played alongside Harrington. "On the first tee, I didn't see 61. But after you seeLeft handed TaylorMade R11 Irons

 done the only really, completely unreasonable birdie was on the 17th. There was never any stress."

That birdie putt on the 17th was from 75 feet, and Harrington said it looked good for the last 15 feet.

But if there was one putt that reminded him how everything was falling his way, it was the 6-foot birdie on the 16th, atop a crown in such a way that Harrington wasn't sure which way it was going to break. He guessed right.

"You're really guessing at which way it's going to go, but on your day, it goes the right way," he said. "I guarantee you there will be a lot of players having a frustrating day, telling you they hit Left handed TaylorMade R11 Irons

 exactly where they wanted and it missed."

With a wedge into 15 feet on the last hole, he had no doubt.

"When it's your day, I could have turned my back on the hole and I would have holed the putt on the last," Harrington said. "That's just the way it is when things are going for you."

Not much has been going well for the three-time major champion since he last won the Johor Open in October 2010. Though he tinkers endlessly with his swing, Harrington had trouble scoring.

He has been working with Pete Cowen, and in January began seeing Dave Alred, whom he refers to as a practice coach. Alred also works with Luke Donald as the Englishman rose to No. 1 in the world, though he is best known in rugby circles as a kicking coach for the likes of Jonny Wilkinson.

Harrington said it's all about practicing with aLeft handed TaylorMade R11 Irons

, which he has done. He can't work much harder. The toughest part of this has been waiting for it all to come together, which is exactly what happened on a gorgeous day near the Gulf coast of Florida, with only a mild breeze and minimal rough.

The longest putt for par he had all day was about 4 feet on the third hole. Harrington hit so many quality shots that he allowed the thought of a 59 to creep into his head. He was 6 under through 10 holes and had an easy, uphill birdie putt from 6 feet on the par-5 11th.

"I got over it and started thinking, 'If I hole this, I'm 7-under par, seven holes to go, I only need to make five more birdies,'" he said. "I just got totally out of where I should have been, hit a bad putt and missed. But if anything, it kind of got the 59 out of my head. So as much as I did choke, it made it easier for the rest of the holes."

Harrington said he never shot lower than 60 as an amateur, back when he went at every flag, before he accrued what he called "fear and damage in my system." He did have a 61 at the Nedbank Challenge a decade ago, though it didn't count as a course record because it was preferred lies that day.