Greensboro, NC …
Padraig Harrington posted his equal-lowest round of a injury-interrupted season in shooting a four-under par 66 on day one of the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The effort, in stiffling hot and humid conditions. is Harrington’s best round since a similar 66 on the opening day of the recent Travelers Championship in Connecticut.
It left the Dubliner sharing the leading Irish honors and trailing five shots behind American Matt Every who signed for a sizzling nine-under par 61 and just one shot shy of equallying the Sedgefield CC course record.
Harrington’s round was a mix of six birdies and just two bogeys in heatwave conditions.
The triple Major winner began his round from the 10th and after six straight pars he birdied both the par three, 16th and where he landed his tee shot to just nine-feet while he played a brilliant 154-yard second shot at the uphill par four 17th to just three-feet and knocked in the birdie.
Harrington then played a laser-like shot into the par three third hole or the 12th of his round also to three-feet tand with the birdie moving him to three-under.
He dropped his only shot at the fourth hole or his 13th in missing the cut some 50-feet right but regrouped with birdies at his 14th and 15th hole before ending with three pars.
Harrington walked from the course to be greeted by his wife, Caroline and oldest son, Paddy.
“A four-under is a good starting considering I am still struggling with my game”, he said.
“I feel as though I did a superb job of managing my way around golf course in pretty hot conditions but then the heat really doesn’t bother me having played out in Singapore, Malaysia and parts of Asia where it gets very hot and humid.
“But then in saying that I have spent a lot of time this week working on my game and it is not the nicest conditions to be working in”.
And if you needed evidence how hard Harrington has been working he showed me he hands and each covered in usightly callases.
Harrington arrived in Greensboro having missed the cut in past three events – the Open Championship, the Barracuda Championship and also last week’s PGA Championship in Charlotte.
In fact, in 10 events this year, and in a year spoilt by a freak shoulder injury, Harrington has made the cut in just three and with a best finish of T17th at the Travelers.
He also arrived in Greensboro needing to finish top-three to be assured of qualifying for next week’s inaugural event of the FedEx Cup Play-Off Series.
However the triple Major winner, and while aware of the scenario, was not about to add that pressure to his shoulders.
“It is a big ask to do what I need to do on demand”, he said.
“I have been injured this year and I am not really bothered as I would be more pleased to just go out there and play good golf and if I can get a run of good form going that would be more pleasing”.
