Padraig Harrington is hoping for a wild Sunday at the PGA Championship.
Harrington’s Second Round Recovery
Padraig Harrington found himself in an interesting position as Friday’s second round at the PGA Championship neared its conclusion. The 54-year-old Irishman had rallied after a disappointing first-round four-over 74. Several second-round birdies had taken him from the cut line to the edge of contention. He was one over par, suddenly just five shots off the lead, held by his playing partner Maverick McNealy.
Harrington stumbled coming home. He three-putted the par-4 6th, his 15th hole of the day, and settled for bogey. Then he missed a four-footer at No. 9, for a deflating bogey to finish. Now he was three over par, seven back.
Harrington addressed a small group of reporters post-round. He spoke about playing his way into contention, but he used the past tense.
Saturday’s Momentum Shift
Harrington teed off on Saturday morning. He started well with a birdie at 1 and added further birdies at 6 and 7, finishing even par the rest of the way. He completed a three-footer at 18 to sign for 67 and a return to even par for the tournament. He doffed his hat to the Philadelphia crowd cheering his final hole.
Other players were making moves. Joaquin Niemann and Martin Kaymer each shot 66, jumping from T54 to the edge of the top 10. Justin Rose, Chris Kirk and Kristoffer Reitan shot 65; they jumped nearly 50 spots. Rory McIlroy began the day T30; at one point he played his way into a share of the lead.
Dreaming of a Sunday Charge
Harrington was already dreaming of a wild Sunday as he wrapped up his Saturday.
“We’ll have to wait and see what the leaderboard is at the end of the day,” he said to a group of Irish journalists.
“I do feel that it’s a golf course that, assuming they go with some tough pins tomorrow — not as tough as [Friday] but tough pins — it would be hard for the leaders. Someone with momentum who holed a few putts could still shoot four or five under par and the leaders could hit a wall. That’s the type