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Padraig Harrington insists he will not be upset if he fails to qualify for next week's DP World Tour Championship as he needs a break.
The Irishman began this week's Turkish Airlines Open 67th on the Race to Dubai, and probably needing a top-10 finish to climb into the top 60 to qualify for the European Tour's season-ending showpiece.
A third-round 71, however, left him languishing in a tie for 40th at seven under par and in need of something special from his final round at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal.
Asked how big a blow it would be were he to not qualify on Sunday, given his status as a former European No 1 and three-time major winner, Harrington responded: "Sorry to say not at all. I need the week and I need a break.
"I'm trying to make it and I'd love to be there, but bear in mind anybody who just scrambles in gets an early tee time the first day and it's nearly impossible to come out of the early tee times next week.
"Every hole will play about 30 yards longer than it will in the afternoon - it's a tough task to win from the early tee times next week."
Harrington revealed a loss of patience early on had been responsible for his mediocre third round which he started with a bogey at the opening hole.
"It's a tough day," he said. "On the greens I didn't hole anything and got off to a bad start.
"If I could get a good start it would be fine, but I'm sure everyone who's not scoring on this course is saying the same thing.
"I definitely lost my patience early on today so that's maybe something - when you're not making birdies out there you feel like you're going backwards.
"I think I need to get to 16 [under par, to qualify for Dubai], but if you offered me 15 now I'd sit in the clubhouse and hope to get lucky."
