DUBLIN, Ireland (PA) -- It was always going to be asking a lot of Padraig Harrington to follow back-to-back major wins with a starring role in the Ryder Cup.

But it was still a shock to see the British Open and PGA Championship winner going through a second successive Ryder Cup without winning a match.

He was in good company this time, though. Half the team, including Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and wild card Paul Casey, did not have a win. As at The K Club, Harrington's return was just one half-point, this time from four matches rather than five because Captain Nick Faldo left him out of the second-day four-balls.

Faldo noted that the Dubliner fell asleep four times on the flight over to America, and as soon as he sat down for Sunday night's post-match press conference he started yawning.

"I know I'm fatigued in many ways and struggling at times," Harrington said. "I actually started off the week playing quite nicely, and practicing got worse every day.

"There's no question in my singles that the minute the overall match was over (put out last, he was on the 14th at the time), any bit of spark that was in my game was just gone," he admitted. "The energy levels just dropped.

"I can't wait for the end of the season personally. I'm definitely tired," he explained. "I worked hard during the week. I didn't play very well, but I worked really hard and I gave it 100 percent. I certainly needed the sort of pressure that is in a Ryder Cup to keep me focused. My game just wasn't there and it's probably because of a long, hard summer.

"It's six weeks since I've practiced as I would normally and my preparation was not superb," he said. "I'll blame that, but I couldn't do anything about it. Such is life and while I'm disappointed I'm not going to beat myself up and be gutted about it."

Harrington has five events left in 2008, starting with next week's Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, which he has won twice.

"It's an event I like, but I will not be ready for it," he admitted. "The Volvo Masters (at Valderrama the last week in October) I should be."

He hopes to regain the European Order of Merit crown there, and he described the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda in mid-October as "a two-day jolly." After Valderrama, he will go to China and Singapore before calling a halt for the year.

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