Europe's top golfer Padraig Harrington is not a certain starter in the US Masters in two weeks' time.

The Dubliner, winner of his first US Tour title in spectacular fashion on March 13, is back in Florida for the Players' Championship starting today - only because his father, battling with cancer of the oesophagus, said he wanted to watch him on television.

"I certainly didn't want to come," said Harrington.

Rather than staying on for the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta, however, he will fly home immediately after this week ' s event - at £4.5 million the richest in the sport - and will then make a decision on the first major of the season.

"Unfortunately there is a chance I could miss it. I don't want to, and my intention is to come," said Harrington, whose 72-year-old father Paddy, a former policeman and outstanding Gaelic footballer, is in hospital. "He is at home wanting to watch it, and it's only because of that that I'm here."

The world No 6 has finished second in the Players - often called golf's unofficial fifth major - for the last two years, but in the circumstances a repeat of that would be quite remarkable.

"I have spoken to Bob Rotella [his American sports psychologist] and at the end of the day I've not got to have any excuses for playing and doing my job," he said.

"If I don't win it's not going to be a burden, but there's no point going out there and making a couple of bogeys and wanting to go home."

The family situation is not the only reason, however, that there has been no massive celebration of Harrington's latest victory - achieved at the Honda Classic with a course record-equalling 63 in the last round and then the defeat of world No 1 Vijay Singh in a play-off.

"I don't put it down as a breakthrough win," he said.

"A lot of people have said I've broken my duck, but I didn't have a monkey on my back. I'd had ten wins before and was very comfortable with what I've been doing.

"I'm not going to say I'm a different player because I won, either. Singh could have holed a putt, and people then would have put it down as my 27th runners-up spot. If I had finished second, though, I'd be just as happy about my game as I am." What it means about this week, though, is that it adds to the expectation, especially on a course where Harrington was the closest challenger to Davis Love two years ago and last March played the last five holes in five-under-par to put the heat on Adam Scott.

The young Australian nearly buckled, hitting his second shot to the last into water, but a six-foot putt gave him a one-stroke success.

"Obviously other people's expectations of me have got to be high and I have to be very careful to stay on a level keel," Harrington said.

Right from the start of his career Harrington has been exceptionally good at that. And his father played a big part in his early development.

"I've had the best possible background for playing golf, for playing all sports," said Harrington. "I couldn't have got more encouragement from my dad without ever pushing or wanting to live his life through my sports.

"It was top-notch. When I was growing up my dad was a very competitive, very intelligent player and he just taught me the art of scoring. He would never tell me how to swing the club, but encouraged me to score well and at the end of the day that's really where my talents lie."

Harrington is one of 19 Europeans competing this week for a first prize of around £800,000. The world's top 50 are all present, the first time that has happened since the 2002 US PGA championship.