Road rage in BMW as Harrington drives off course
Padraig Harrington’s negative views on the Burma Road course haven’t changed after a week in which he showed close to the top of the leaderboard for much of the time only fade badly yesterday in spite of a bright start.
Birdies at the second and third actually put him in contention but there was little or no spark subsequently. A birdie at 11 moved him to seven under but he hooked off the tee at the long 12th, landed in a ditch and did remarkably well to eke out a par five.
“I wanted to come home after that”, he joked, but things only got worse. A hat-trick of bogeys from the 15th where his driving was all over the place, was partially compensated for by a birdie at the last. Thirty-eight home was very disappointing, a fact he didn’t try to conceal.
“I need to get on top of things mentally”, he admitted. “I certainly would have liked to play a lot better and the one positive is that I know what I need to work on. Last week in Ireland and this tournament also are a good reminder of what I need to do. As for Wentworth, my opinion hasn’t changed. There’s no point in me moaning on about it. Will I come back? Who knows. The funny thing is I feel I could play again this week but don’t worry, I won’t be doing so.
“That would mean seven in-a-row and would tell against me later on in the season. My next tournament is at Congressional, Washington.”
Harrington closed with a 71 for five under and a tie for 11th worth €62,457. On the same mark was Gary Murphy, another with his sights on the US Open. He has heard so many good things about the event that he goes to Walton Heath this morning for a practice round prior to the qualifier over the same course eight days later.
The Heritage tournament pro had a real up and down round yesterday before signing for a 71 that really should have been a whole lot better. He was three over for the last five where, as he agreed, “you are trying to pick up shots, not drop them.”
Murphy’s frustration was all the more understandable after he highlighted the round with a couple of eagles, at the fourth where he knocked in a putt of all of 40 feet and at the 12th where he reached the green with a drive and four iron and sank the putt from 25 feet.
“I was cruising along at that point and even now looking back, don’t feel that I did too much wrong”, he mused. “I made a good par at 13 but the trouble started at 14 where I was between clubs, went with a five iron which trickled back down off the green and I missed a nine footer for par. Bogeys at 15 and 17 were bad enough but I was really fed up after the last where I hit a lovely drive and four iron and then took three putts.”
Damien McGrane had the pleasure yesterday of partnering Jose-Maria Olazabal and in the end outscored the former dual Masters champion by 72 to 73. The former Wexford club pro, nowadays back living in his native
Co Meath, totalled four under for the week although rather disappointed at failing to manage even one birdie on Wentworth’s vulnerable back nine. Instead, it cost him 38 strokes, one over, and he had to settle for a share of 18th and a cheque for €48,900.
Graeme McDowell and Peter Lawrie, first round leaders after rounds of 67, battled gamely to the end but joined those who felt they had underachieved after such an encouraging start.
McDowell shot 68 yesterday for a two under par total and it was a round that also contained an eagle at the 12th. He tied for 27th to earn €36,200. Lawrie closed with a 71 for even par worth €23,000.
The never out of the news Colin Montgomerie shot a great 66 yesterday to finish 11th and it’s now touch and go whether he scrapes into the world’s top 50 and the US Open at Pinehurst in a fortnight’s time. He will know his fate this morning.
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