Padraig Harrington says golfers "had to turn away" from watching Tiger Woods as the former World No 1 endures a rapid fall from grace.
The 14-time major winner has struggled with back problems and his game, posting his worst single round score as a professional at the Phoenix Open in January.
Harrington was playing in that tournament and said Woods' issues had an effect on the rest of the field.
Joining Off The Ball's Joe Molloy from the US, the three-time major winner said: "That was car crash TV. I'm telling you, they kept replaying it over here, over and over and over. Players had to turn away. We don't want to watch. That stuff gets in your head. If you see the best player in the world doing it, it makes it a bit more realistic for you. We do relate to Tiger Woods. If he can do it, we can do it. That was hard for all the players to be looking at."
The Dubliner also reacted to Darren Clarke's appointment as Europe's 2016 Ryder Cup captain.
"He is the right guy for the job. He's done a huge amount playing-wise for the European Tour, done a lot for the Ryder Cup, he's been a big figure in the Ryder Cup team room. I think he deserves the job and works hard behind the scenes," he said, adding that public perceptions of Clarke are different from the "perfectionist" he really is.
Harrington also talked about the need to raise awareness about cancer, which claimed his father's life, and how the US and European tours compare off the course.
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