Padraig Harrington’s end to his third round could not have been timed better.
The triple Major winner endured a double snake bite at the closing two holes of the famed Snake Pit, bogeying 17th and then horribly doubling the last in a round of 72 to drop back to four over par in the Valspar Championship.
Harrington walked from the Copperhead course just moments after the start of the championship deciding Six Nations Rugby encounter in Paris where his beloved Ireland side were needing to defeat the home nation France in order to capture the coveted Six Nations trophy.
After handing in his scorecard and then signing a handful of autographs Harrington and his caddy Ronan Flood were rushing back to their Innisbrook Resort on-course hotel room to watch coverage of the match from the Stade de France.
The Dubliner went into the third round having made the halfway cut right on the three over par mark but started his round with eight straight pars before dropping a shot at the uphill par four ninth hole and for a second occasion in three rounds.
However Harrington turned on the brilliance with three birdies in succession starting when landed a 6-iron to just 18 inches at the par three, 13th holes.
He then birdied the par five 14th before holing a 14-foot birdie at the downhill par three 15th ahead of making his way to the 16th and the start of the Snake Pit.
But while he managed to par the 16th, and the hardest hole on the Innisbrook Resort course this week, he found a greenside bunker at the par three 17th and needed three shots to get up-and-down at a hole named Rattler.
Though there was more drama to come at the uphill par four 18th when sent his drive way left off the tee and with tall trees blocking out any attempt in trying to find the green in two.
All Harrington could do was chip out leaving himself a 98-yard wedge shot to a very tricky pin. However while the ball landed close to the hole it spun back and then rolled to a stop 30 foot from the flag from where he three-putted for his double bogey.
While Harrington was keen to watch TV coverage of Ireland’s Six Nations showdown against France there was also the concern of whether he will make the third round cut given 84 players had made the second round cut.
Under PGA Tour rules there is a third round cut whereby only the top-70 and ties go through to the last day.
Harrington headed off to watch the rugby lying in a share 71st place but by half-time in the game in Paris he was T68th.
He then returned just prior to the leaders teeing off lying sharing 66th place but delighted Ireland had managed to hold and win by two points 22 – 20 against France.
It was only Ireland’s second victory in Paris in 42 years but the second occasion in five years Ireland is the Six Nations Champion.
“It was a great game of rugby, a real test match and I’m thrilled we won,” said Harrington.
“It was pretty drama-packed those last few minutes including that forward pass of France right near the end, and to win also in Paris was something else.
“I’m also delighted for Brian O’Driscoll to end what has been a fabulous career on a winning note.”
Ireland’s Brian O’Driscoll ends his career as Man of the Match in Paris.
