Harrington In Box Seat To Become Only Second Irish-Born Two-Time Irish Open Winner.

9 years ago by Comments Off on Harrington In Box Seat To Become Only Second Irish-Born Two-Time Irish Open Winner.

Padraig Harrington finds himself in the Royal County Down box seat to end a 66-year wait and become only the second Irish-born player to win two Irish Open titles.

Despite the disappointment of dropping five shots over his closing eight hole the triple Major winning Harrington heads to the weekend rounds just at two under par and only one shot from the lead.

Harrington 3Six players  – Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello (68), Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen (70), Scotland’s Richie Ramsay (67), Austrian Bernd Wiesberger (67), England’s Chris Wood (69) and South African Tyrrell Hatton (66) – share the lead at three under par.

Cabrera-Bello produced the only bogey-free round over two days on the wind-swept and rain-lashed course while Hatton matched the Royal County Down course record set 76 years ago in the 1939 Irish Open by Cork-born golfing great Jimmy Bruen.

It’s been eight years since Harrington captured a first Irish Open title at Adare Manor and with the victory in Co. Limerick also his last regular European Tour success ahead of capturing his three Major Championship titles.

The late, great Harry Bradshaw was the first Irish golfer to capture two Irish Open crowns first in 1947 and then again in 1949.

Since then only Christy O’Connor Jnr (1975), John O’Leary (1982) and Harrington have tasted Irish Open success.

But while a hopeful second Irish Open success beckons for Harrington he was more annoyed with himself after having moved to seven under par after 10 holes but then completing the remaining eight holes in five over par.

Included in Harrington’s closing eight was going bogey, double-bogey and bogey from the 11th and then ending with a further two bogeys.

“I was very comfortable through 28 holes, putt there to go eight-under par and everything was easy at that stage”, he said.

“So it was disappointing I suppose.   What I went through over the last six or seven holes is what most of the players are going through all the time, so I feel bad, but as I said, it seems to  be the way that most of the course is playing for most of the guys.

“Hopefully I won’t do it again over the weekend.  Hopefully I’ve had my bad run.”



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