Resolute Harrington gets his mojo back
Harrington, rugged-up in four layers of clothing, recorded a four under par 68 before being joined by American Billy Horschel atop of the board on Greg Norman designed TPC San Antonio course.
And as delighted Harrington was with his effort, he did go to lunch with the bitter taste of bogeying the last — the only dropped shot of his round.
However, it is Harrington’s second best PGA Tour round this season as he not only looks to end a five-year Tour drought but also seeks repeat the effort of 2000 when he made his Masters debut having won the week before in Brazil.
“I hit a stinker of a first putt on 18 and I was surprised when it went five feet past the hole and then missed the putt coming back, so that was a pity,” said Harrington.
“But I’m very happy with my short game as I chipped the ball well. I also used my head to get around the golf course as Greg Norman designs golf courses to test professional golfers, not to please professional golfers.
“So it tends to suit my game for sure and history would say that that’s where I’m at my strongest, playing a tough golf course on a tough day, and I certainly enjoy that challenge. I certainly prefer it when other people are finding it difficult too.
“And I have to say I had the maximum amount of clothes on today and I have to say it was colder out there this morning than last week in Dublin where despite having snow back home, I was practicing in a t-shirt (smiling).”
Harrington birdied his second hole and then picked up shots at 10, 11 and 14 before moving to five under par when he went close to driving the green at the slightly downhill par four, 17th.
He chipped from some 25 feet short of the flag to just a foot for birdie. But, after missing the fairway left at 18, Harrington laid-up to 168 yards from where he landed on the left side of the green and 30 feet from the hole from where he three-putted in a round of only 25 putts.
Harrington was greeted after his round by ‘performance’ coach, Dave Alred, the former kicking coach to rugby star Jonny Wilkinson. Alred is spending the week working with Harrington before heading to Australia next week with Brad Kennedy.
Alred walked the full 18 holes with Harrington jotting down notes and remarking after he bogeyed the last: “That bogey going to put some pain into his practice session this afternoon.”
Harrington, who is looking to win on the PGA Tour for a first time in five years, ended his round just moments after McIlroy was completing his round at the ninth hole.
And in seeing McIlroy being interviewed by local TV, Harrington’s queried: “What did Rory shoot?”
Unfortunately, the world number two continues to suffer from silly mental mistakes and carded a level par 72.
McIlroy is yet to break par on the first day in the five stroke-play events he’s played this year.
He had four birdies, two in succession at his 14th and 15th holes, but also just as many bogeys including three in succession from his ninth hole, where he went for the green in two but found a water hazard.
“It wasn’t the consistency I came here for, no, not really,” he said.
“I started off well to be two-under after eight but then I threw in a couple of those silly mistakes that I was talking about trying to eliminate last week.
“Two of the bogeys were on par fives including the my 11th and with a wedge in my hand. So if you eliminate those it’s not a bad score.”
A check of McIlroy’s stats shows he hit only half of the fairways in regulation and once on the green, he took 31 putts — six more than Harrington.
“The mistakes are more mental than anything else,” added McIlroy.
“It’s just about limiting those mistakes. But I hit the ball okay. Not my best, but it was tricky out there.
“ The conditions were pretty tough, and if you get this course with a bit of wind, and it’s always going to be a tough challenge.”
Harrington and McIlroy had long finished lunch when Shane Lowry teed up as the very last player starting in the $6.2m event.
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