Padraig Harrington doesn't own any green jackets despite winning twice at Augusta National Golf Club.

Padraig Harrington drives off the third tee during his practice round. The Irishman is going for his first Masters victory after finishing tied for 27th place in last year's tournament. (Chris Thelen/Staff)

A pair of wins in the Par-3 Contest has produced only two crystal bowls on pedestals.

They don't guarantee you a spot in the Masters Tournament every year. They don't etch your name into golfing lore.

And yet Harrington will go for a third Par-3 Contest victory, fully conscious a jinx exists. No Par-3 winner has claimed the Masters title in the same year.

"... If you don't win this," he famously said in 2004, "you can't make two speeches."

One speech will suffice this year. And not the one after today's Par-3 Contest.

Instead, the 35-year-old Irishman will try to become the first European to win in Augusta since 1999.

Harrington, No. 10 in the World Golf Ranking, is seeking his first major victory. And he'd like to get it in Augusta.

"Like every time I practice for the last year and for the next number of years," he said Tuesday morning, "really the tournament I'm thinking about is the Masters, because I think if you can win around here, you can play golf."

With his length and improved putting ability, Harrington is among the top contenders this week. He's sixth on tour in putting average (down from 101st in 2005 and 41st last year).

"I do need to be right on the edge on a week like this," Harrington said. "I'm going to need to a couple of breaks, hole a couple of putts, do whatever this week to be competitive on this golf course."

Harrington has shown consistency throughout this PGA Tour season. He has finished in the top 30 in all six events he entered, with a best finish of seventh at the Nissan Open.

In seven Masters appearances, he has been almost as solid, with five top-30 finishes and just two missed cuts. The last time he didn't play the final 36 holes was in 2005, a month after he learned his father's esophageal cancer had returned. Patrick Harrington died three months later.

Last year, Padraig Harrington shot 75-74 the final two rounds and slid into a tie for 27th place.

Harrington has been in contention for a green jacket just once, in 2002, the only time he broke par in the first round. After carding 69 on the opening 18, Harrington was near the top of the leaderboard before tying for fifth, six shots behind the eventual champion, Tiger Woods.

But Harrington's most memorable Masters came in 2004. After winning the Par-3 Contest for the second year in a row, he aced the par-3 16th hole in the final round and finished in a tie for 13th.

This year, Harrington has gotten off to a rough start. He visited a local dentist after chipping a tooth.

"We do have to go to the dentist. We're not that good," he said. "We may be able to hit a little white golf ball, but it does not preclude us from going to see our dentist and things like that."

Harrington will make another visit to the Par-3 Course today and will see whether he can finally break the hex.

"I'll be trying again this week," he said.

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.