Late birdie boost keeps patient Harrington in the firing line

PATIENCE is your watchword in the US Open and Pádraig Harrington showed that he has it in spades as he picked up two late birdies to keep his hopes of a fourth major title alive at a fast and furious Pebble Beach.

Four over par with four to play and struggling to keep his head above water, the Dubliner birdied the sixth and ninth to salvage a two over par 73 that left him three strokes behind early pace-setters Ian Poulter, KJ Choi, Mike Weir and Spanish debutant Rafael Cabrera Bello.

“I started off nicely and I was well in control,’’ Harrington said. “I had some good birdie chances and then the game went away from me in the middle of the round. It was getting away from me on what felt like a day for scoring.