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PGA Tour is drowning young talent - Harrington

Padraig Harrington is a three-time Major champion © Getty Images

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Padraig Harrington believes the intense competition on the PGA Tour has made it hard for young American talent to thrive.

And with Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell and South Africa's Loius Oosthuizen clinching their maiden Major titles this year, Harrington, himself a three-time Major champion, believes the days of US dominance are over.

Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy have all won on the PGA Tour in recent months, and Harrington believes the number of international players on the Tour has been to the detriment of American youngsters coming through the system.

"The US Tour is no longer a breeding ground for US-born players," Harrington said.

"If there is an issue going forward, I would say the US Tour is so strong with the international players coming here that it means the young US-born player doesn't get the opportunity to learn how to win as much as an international player who is playing on his home Tour before he comes out.

"Before I came to the States in 2004, I probably won 20 times, or close to it and a lot of guys before they come to the States, they've won tournaments.

"I'm sure there's great players coming out of college in the States who at 22, 23 years of age don't quite make it over their first five, six years and are probably burnt out or lost their confidence by 30, whereas a similar player, international player, has won 10 events by that stage and is chomping at the bit to get out here and do it on a different stage.

"A good season here in the States for a young player, might be to get in contention three or four times, maybe win once. Whereas a good season for a young player in Europe, he gets in contention 12 times and wins twice, maybe three times and those 12 times he's in contention, he's going to learn a lot from those."

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has been credited with increasing the earning potential of the players, and the higher prize money has attracted the big-name international players, but Harrington admits it has come at a cost.

"There's no doubt that this is a tough thing to say, that the strength of the US Tour just doesn't help grow young players," he said.

"He's [Finchem] made it as easy as possible for the international players to join and is that to the detriment of the US-born players. So you've got to be absolutely exceptional as a US-born player to make it to the top."

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