Storm-force Pádraig

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON whipped up a storm of his own to keep his FedEx Cup chances alive and challenge for victory in the hurricane-threatened Barclays in New Jersey.

With PGA Tour officials opting to reduce to first play-off event to 54 holes because of Hurricane Irene, the Dubliner goes into today’s final round just four shots behind clubhouse leader and defending champion Matt Kuchar on 10 under par after rounds of 65 and 67.

His weather-delayed 65 was his lowest round anywhere since he opened with a 64 en route victory in the Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia 10 months ago and he kept it going when he headed straight back out and fired seven birdies in a second round 67 to provisionally share third place with Justin Rose and Aaron Baddeley.

Having only just squeaked into The Barclays as the 124th of the 125 qualifiers from the regular FedEx Cup points season, Harrington only needs a top-30 finish to make the top 100 who qualify for next week’s Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston.

But he has set his sights on a victory that would give him a fighting chance of winning the $€10 million FedEx Cup bonus next month.

On a day when Graeme McDowell followed a one-over 72 by storming home in 30 for a 65 that keep his FedEx Cup hopes alive, Harrington rued three second-round bogeys on a day of low scoring.

“I’m sure like everybody else I feel like I’ve left an awful lot out there,” he said. “It’s nice to be somewhat in the tournament and feeling there is a little bit more in the tank.”

Ranked a tenuous 93rd in the FedEx Cup standings, McDowell looked certain to miss the cut when he slipped to two over with 14 holes to play.

But he played them in seven under par to make the projected three-under-par cut with two shots to spare.

Kuchar added 65 to his opening 63 to lead by a shot in the clubhouse on 15 under from Dustin Johnson.

- THE name of Kenneth Ferrie might bring back some horrid memories for Thomas Bjorn, but he is happy to be alongside him just one off the lead at the halfway stage of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

Ferrie’s last victory came in the 2005 European Open at The K Club — after Bjorn, four ahead with a round to play, took 11 on the 17th hole and six on the last for an 86 that remains the worst score of his 16-year tour career.

Losing in such a fashion was bad enough, but it also counted against the Dane when it came to Ian Woosnam choosing his wild-cards for the Ryder Cup at the Irish venue the following year.

Now he and Ferrie are locked together on seven under par, right on the heels of Spanish former Ryder Cup player Ignacio Garrido, who took over at the top from Mark Foster after a 69 yesterday, on the course that will stage the match against the Americans in 2014.

- DERMOT McELROY, one of the rising stars of the Irish game, gave a five-star performance to secure a vital singles point which helped Great Britain and Ireland grab a narrow halfway advantage over the Continent of Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy match in Spain yesterday.