Padraig Harrington delivered struggling Rory McIlroy an example of the mental toughness lacking in his game overcoming tough conditions to finish just a stroke from the lead on the opening day of the Valero Texas Open.
Harrington, rugged-up in four layers of clothing, recorded a four under par 68 before being joined by American Billy Horschel atop of the board on Greg Norman designed TPC San Antonio course.
However it was little known Americans Matt Bettencourt and Peter Tomasulo who headed the $6.2m event with five under par 67s.
Bettencourt made his way into the field when Sweden’s Henrik Stenson withdrew after qualifying for next week’s Masters while Tomasulo is playing on a Medical Exemption and has eight events to try and earn $539,522 to extend his qualifying status. However up to this week Tomasulo has made just one cut in four PGA Tour starts to earn just $65,280.
Harrington had the chance to also shoot a 67 but went to lunch with the bitter taste of bogeying the last, and the only dropped shot of his round.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy all smiles despite more silly mental errors on day one of the 2013 Valero Texas Open. (Photo – www.pgatour.com)
However it is Harrington’s second best PGA Tour round this season as he not only looks to end a five-year Tour drought but also repeat the effort of 2000 when he made his Masters debut having won the week before in Brazil.
“I hit a stinker of a first putt on 18 and I was surprised when it went five feet past the hole and then missed the putt coming back, so that was a pity,” said Harrington.
“But I’m very happy with my short-game as I chipped the ball well.
“I also used my head to get around the golf course as Greg Norman designs golf courses to test professional golfers, not to please professional golfers.
“So it tends to suit my game for sure and history would say that that’s where I’m at my strongest, playing a tough golf course on a tough day, and I certainly enjoy that challenge.
“I certainly prefer it when other people are finding it difficult too.
“And I have to say I had the maximum amount of clothes on today and I have to say it was colder out there this morning than last week in Dublin where despite having snow back home, I was practicing in a t-shirt (smiling).”
Harrington was greeted after his round by ‘performance’ coach, Dave Aldred, the former kicking coach to Johnnie Wilkinson. Aldred in spending the week working with Harrington before heading to Australia next week with Aussie golfer, Brad Kennedy.
Aldred walked the full 18 holes with Harrington jotting down notes in his notebook and remarking after he bogeyed the last: “That bogey going to put some pain into his practice session this afternoon.”
Harrington, who is looking to win on the PGA Tour for a first time in five years, ended his round just moments after Rory McIlroy was completing his round at the ninth hole.
And in seeing McIlroy being interviewed by local TV, Harrington’s queried: “What did Rory shoot?”
Unfortunately, the World No. 2 continues to suffer from silly mental mistakes and the mistakes that have been too close a companion this new season in carding a level par 72.
McIlroy is yet to break par on the first day in the five stroke-play events he’s played this year.
McIlroy had four birdies, two in succession at his 14th and 15th holes, but also just as many bogeys including three in succession from his ninth hole, where he went for the green in two but found a water hazard.
“It wasn’t the consistency I came here for, no, not really,” he said.
“I started off well to be two‑under after eigtht but then I threw in a couple of those silly mistakes that I was talking about trying to eliminate last week.
“Two of the bogeys were on par fives including the my 11th and with a wedge in my hand.
“So if you eliminate those and it’s not a bad score.”
A check of McIlroy’s stats shows he hit only half of the fairways in regulation and once on the green, he took 31 putts and that was six more than Harrington.
“The mistakes are more mental than anything else,” added McIlroy.
“It’s just about limiting those mistakes
“But I hit the ball okay. Not my best, but it was tricky out there. The conditions were pretty tough, and if you get this course with a bit of wind, and it’s always going to be a tough challenge.”
Harrington and McIlroy had long finished lunch when Shane Lowry teed up, and as the very last player starting in the $6.2m event.
