NEWPORT, Wales (PA) -- Padraig Harrington insists patience is the key for him as he continues his U.S. Open countdown by playing in the Wales Open at Celtic Manor this week.

The reigning British Open champion chose to skip last week's big-money BMW PGA Championship in England and add this event to his schedule because all his focus is now on the majors. Also, importantly, this week marks the initial event on the Celtic Manor's Twenty Ten Course, which will host the 2010 Ryder Cup.

"I am very happy to be here with two goals in mind," Harrington said Wednesday. "The first one is to try and win the tournament and play my best. But I also realize that, as part of the bigger picture, the competitive rounds will help me build towards the U.S. Open in two weeks' time.

"It takes me at least two tournaments to get sharp and get focused. My game's good, but right at the edge," he added. "I've had some solid performances during the year, a number of top 5s, but I do need it to just tip over the edge and get that win."

His last one remains that Carnoustie playoff against Sergio Garcia last July.

"The only way that is going to happen is with patience," the Dubliner added. "I'm not going to swing the club any better, I am not going to be physically any better, it is just a combination of things coming together in a given week and letting it happen.

"The ingredients are all there. I'm not standing here thinking, 'God, I wish I was on the range hitting shots,'" he explained. ""I have things to work on and things to practice, but I am not panicking about it, which is a sign that I am comfortable with the way my game is."

At least Harrington has something of an advantage over those who took their first look at the course Wednesday and then were hauled off after only a few holes because of the conditions.

"That serves them right for not being professional and getting here early on a Tuesday to play their practice round," stated Harrington with a smile.

"As much as I love practicing, the competition is better for me now in terms of getting sharp. It seems the only place I can really find that is when I have a card in my hand and have only one ball in play," he said. "I really like what they have done around the greens. They've cut a lot of rough away and there are plenty of runoffs so the ball spills off the greens and gives you plenty of options.

"It's a lot more testing and brings more imagination to it compared to just putting heavy rough," he said. "Yes, the course could do with more maturity, but that will happen. It will take a couple of years to work out the ideal set-up."

Harrington is the highest-ranked player in the field at 12th in the world, but the central figures from last week's BMW PGA Championship are all straight back in action.

BMW PGA winner Miguel Angel Jimenez, now an almost certain member of this September's Ryder Cup side, will be trying to make it two wins in a row, while runner-up Oliver Wilson would dearly love to put seven second places behind him with his first victory.

Robert Karlsson, meanwhile, will be fired up by the three putts from three feet that sent him from a possible playoff to a tie for third place on Sunday.

Also in the field are Colin Montgomerie, whose missed cut last Friday led to him being overtaken by Alastair Forsyth as top Scot in the world rankings, and 20-year-old Englishman Danny Willett, making his professional debut after bowing out of the amateur scene as world No. 1.

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