Pádraig Harrington is hunting down more silverware as the 53-year-old Dubliner – winner of the US Senior Open last month – claimed the halfway lead in the ISPS Handa Senior Open at Sunningdale where a bogey-free second-round 65 for a 36-holes total of seven-under-par 133 gave him a one-stroke lead over Thomas Bjorn and KJ Choi.
Five birdies, combined with some feats of escapology when occasionally in trouble, most especially a remarkable approach from gorse on the 16th, enabled Harrington – who hit the opening tee shot at last week’s 153rd Open at Royal Portrush – to navigate a route to the top of the leaderboard.
Falling acorns, bugs landing on his foot and leaves drifting by on his backswing were among the unusual incidents in what Harrington described as “a weird day” where he kept his focus and strategically worked his way around the tight, heathland course in Berkshire.
“I rode my luck a lot today. Got my head in the game. Did a lot of good stuff mentally. Short game was sharp ... but I did a good job, where I should make a score, I scored, and then I got in trouble on plenty of other holes. Hit some recovery shots and managed my game, but I never showed much confidence out there at all in my swing,” said Harrington, who outlined the “crazy” things that also happened:
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“As I was teeing off on seven, I was nearly hit by acorn coming out of the tree. On that par-5 a bug landed right down by my shoe as I took my backstroke and completely, like, distracted me.
“Then on 17 it was actually a leaf. I didn’t know what it was. Came in front of my ball and I nearly topped it. I had a weird day in many ways. They didn’t cost me. I wouldn’t want to play like that [over the weekend], I would like to score like that the next two days.”
In the ISPS Handa Scottish Women’s Open, Leona Maguire shot a second-round 71 to add to her opening 67 for a midway total of six-under-par 138 in tied-eighth. That left her six shots adrift of midway leader Lottie Woad – recent winner of the KPMG Irish Open – playing in her first tournament as a professional.
Woad’s 65 is the best round so far and leaves here two shots clear of world number one Nelly Korda and Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen, who both carded 66s.
