Injury foils Harrington in PGA top ten bid

THE UNWELCOME combination of injury and a card-wrecking double bogey seven at the 7th effectively spoiled Padraig Harrington’s hopes of finishing in the top ten in a major championship for the fourth time yesterday.

Harrington went into the PGA Championship as one of only two players - Sergio Garcia is the other - to have claimed a top ten spot in the Masters, the US Open and the Open earlier in the season, but this time fortune was most certainly not on his side. He was three over for the tournament after nine holes of yesterday’s final round and battling not alone with the difficulties of the Hazeltine National course but also with a major problem with his neck.

The problem flared up on the practice ground just before Saturday’s third round and seriously inconvenienced him through the week-end. The local newspaper, the Star Tribune, carried a dramatic picture in yesterday’s edition of Harrington screaming in agony and apparently being manhandled by his physical therapist, Dale Richardson, a 42-year-old Australian, after he had struck the first drive of his third round on Saturday. His neck locked as he hit a three wood on the practice range and he immediately called for Richardson to come and treat the damage.

Under rule, he had to hit his first drive before being granted a ten minute injury “time out” and it was then that Richardson clicked into action. Harrington was in considerable discomfort, took a double bogey at the first before dropping another stroke at the short 4th. After that, however, the pain became less and less and with Richardson at his side throughout to lend assistance on a regular basis, he went on to play the last 14 in one under par, a remarkable performance for the wind frequently gusted to 30mph on a particularly difficult golfing day.

After more treatment overnight and another hour yesterday morning, Harrington was facing into the final round with reasonable confidence.

“I’d say I’m about 5% better than when I completed my round yesterday”, he said. “I’m not even close to being fully fit. It’s troubling me so much that now I’ve forgotten about the painful ankle I had on Friday. Hopefully, I’ll be able to strike the ball as well as I was towards the end of the round yesterday. I’ll have treatment from Dale throughout.”

In spite of his discomfort, Harrington played the first few holes yesterday in delightful fashion. He rolled in a putt for a birdie at the 2nd, but took six at the 636-yard 3rd when his approach shot flew the green and crashed into a bunker. A six iron to ten feet yielded a birdie at the 6th before disaster followed at the reachable par five 7th.

His drive sliced into the trees on the right and he was unable to reach the fairway with his recovery. He then laid up short of the pond fronting the green only to hit the next fat and into the hazard. He pitched on in six and incredibly rattled in a putt of at least 30 feet to escape with a seven.

However, 37 to the turn for three over par overall meant that coveted top ten spot was now as good as out of reach.