TPC River Highlands, CT …
For a second year running Padraig Harrington took to Route 66 on day one of the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.
Harrington didn’t drop a shot with two birdies on each half for his four-under par tally and head to well-deserved lunch sharing sixth place early on in the $US 7m event.
It was Harrington’s lowest PGA Tour starting score since a similar 66 in the event a year ago.
It left the three-Major winner trailed four shots behind fellow Open Champion, Zach Johnson who capped his round of a blistering seven-under par 63 with six straight birdies from his 11th hole on the par-70 TPC River Highlands course.
Johnson’s only mishap was a bogey at the last.
No such concern for Harrington who made the most of his invitation with birdies at the par-5 sixth hole where, and after missing the green right, he chipped his 37-yard third shot to eight-feet and drained the putt.
Harrington then hit a booming 321-drive down the seventh and then sent a laser-like 135-yard wedge to just three-feet for a second birdie.
He pared the next three before moving to three-under in landing his tee shot at the par-3 11th to 16-feet and then delighted a big crowd following his group in holing the birdie putt.
He then moved to four-under at the short par-4 15th first missing the green short and right but then brilliantly chipped to some three feet for a birdie ‘3’.
The current World No. 252 pared his closing three holes in a round that was his lowest ‘individual’ round on the PGA Tour since a final round 66 in last November’s RSM Classic and the Dubliner’s opening event of the 2017/18 wraparound Tour schedule.
Closer to home, the score matched a 66 Harrington shot on day two of the recent U.S. Open.
