ORLANDO, Florida: Twenty years have passed since Padraig Harrington first faced Tiger Woods on the weekend at a major, and the Irishman has kept a close watch ever since.

He doesn鈥檛 think Woods is finished. Harrington believes Woods can win another major if he can just get to the final nine holes.

鈥淵ou鈥檇 never run Tiger off,鈥� Harrington said, drawing from the two hours he watched Woods play in a 10-hole made-for-TV exhibition last weekend. 鈥淏ut I actually think he might be ... in a better place than I had thought.鈥�

Never mind that the 15-time major champion turns 47 at the end of the month, or that Woods has had as many 鈥� if not more 鈥� surgeries than he has won majors.

Plantar fasciitis in his right foot kept Woods from playing the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas two weeks ago, and he wouldn鈥檛 be playing with his 13-year-old son in the PNC Championship this weekend if not for carts being allowed.

No matter.

鈥淭here鈥檚 two things that make a golfer 鈥� how talented they are and how resilient they are,鈥� Harrington said Thursday after storms washed out the PNC Championship pro-am. 鈥淯sually you get very talented, not very resilient; or you get very resilient and not very talented. Tiger, through his whole career, has both of those, which is very unusual.

鈥淪o I would never doubt.鈥�

His views were contrary to Colin Montgomerie saying earlier this week on a podcast he doesn鈥檛 think Woods can win again.

鈥淟isten, yes, he鈥檚 great,鈥� Montgomerie said. 鈥淏ut Tiger doesn鈥檛 have to now just get back to the standard he was performing at then. He has to improve it. The standard is improving all the time, and there鈥檚 not one or two guys that can beat him now. There鈥檚 22 guys that can beat him. So, it鈥檚 Tiger trying to get not back to where he was but to get to a standard he鈥檚 never been at before and I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 possible.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 see that happening. I鈥檇 love it to happen because it鈥檚 great for the game. I would love him to win. But I just can鈥檛 see it happening.鈥�

Woods has played all of 172 holes this year in tournaments 鈥� 162 while walking. He tied for 48th in the Masters, withdrew after the third round of the PGA Championship on a cold day at Southern Hills and he missed the cut at St. Andrews. He was in a cart for the team match last Saturday with Rory McIlroy as his partner.

Woods said in the Bahamas that 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have much left in this leg,鈥� referring to the right leg that was shattered in a February 2021 car crash in Los Angeles.

Harrington and Woods first squared off in the third round of the US Open at Bethpage Black in 2002 鈥� Woods won his second straight major 鈥� and they have been friends since then, with Woods having respect for the Irishman鈥檚 work ethic.

Harrington used to say his goal was to see where he stood through 63 holes, and then show what he has on the final nine. He won three majors in 2007 and 2008.

What inspired him from watching 10 holes in the match last week was the speed Woods showed in his swing, which he thought was enough power to keep up with today鈥檚 generation and to at least get him to the back nine.

鈥淭he little bit of extra speed will help him because in the first 63 holes ... you know, who would want to be coming down the stretch against Tiger?鈥� Harrington said. 鈥淵ou know he鈥檚 capable of doing anything at that stage. I think he鈥檚 in a better position to get himself into that last nine holes.鈥�

It only takes 27 holes to get to the last nine at the PNC Championship, which Woods is playing for the third time. Woods and Charlie, now 13, finished one shot behind John Daly and his son a year ago.

The competition can be serious at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando, though this is mostly about time spent among fathers, mothers, sons and daughters.

With Woods involved, everything always feels bigger, however much time he has left.

鈥淚 would say we are never really going to know how much is in there because he just continues to do more than we thought he would ever be able to do,鈥� Stewart Cink said. 鈥淗e continues to defy really all conceivability.鈥�