Harrington goes on birdie blitz in Connecticut

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON was rewarded for his decision to carry on playing after the trials of Pebble Beach as he took an early share of the first-round lead at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut last night.

After the mental rigours of playing a US Open on one of the world’s most challenging courses, it would have been churlish to deny any player a week off immediately afterwards.

Yet with two days at the JP McManus Pro-Am in Adare next week his only scheduled competition before The Open Championship at St Andrews, Harrington backed a hunch to press on in tournament mode at this PGA Tour stop near Hartford.