Missed cut adds to Harrington’s woes
Harrington had struggled to play all four rounds of last week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans but with this week’s 2017 PGA Championship venue asking far more difficult questions than those presented in Louisiana.
The Dubliner posted rounds of 72 and 78 for a six over par total and to be lying in a share of 138th place in the 156-player event, and five shots shy of the projected cut-off point.
It is the second straight year Harrington has missed the cut at Quail Hollow after having finished T7th behind Rory McIlroy in 2010 and T9th a year later.
The effort will also see the current No. 196th world ranked Harrington drop outside the top-200 on the world rankings for a first time in 18 years since his maiden Tour success with victory in the 1996 Peugeot Open de Espana.
Just last month, Harrington ended a run of 14 straight appearances in the Masters while he also is not exempt into next week’s Players Championship, and for the first time in his career will now need to tee-up on May 26 in a US Open qualifier at Walton Heath in Surrey.
Harrington’s next appearance inside the ropes with be in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth starting May 22. Wentworth is not one of his fondest venues, given he’s contested the event just twice over the past six years.
McIlroy, meanwhile, who was out in the afternoon half of the Wells Fargo Championship field, revealed a double reason for his late entry into the European Tour’s flagship event. While McIlroy has not played well since changes to the West Course he also believes his appearance would ease any burden on European Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley.
“I’m third on the Ryder Cup rankings at the moment and one of the reasons I decided to add Wentworth to my schedule, because I wasn’t going to play, was that one day last week while back at home I just thought: ‘Oh, I’m playing well at present, I might as well play Wentworth.”
“Also another reason is to get my Ryder Cup place locked in and not leave Paul McGinley having to think about it over the summer. But I’ll go back to Wentworth even though I haven’t played well there since the changes. I was fifth there in ’09 but I’ve since struggled on the new West Course. So I’ll go back and try again.”
lA four-under round of 68 was enough for Panuphol Pittayarat to retain a one-stroke lead after two rounds of The Championship at Laguna National. The Thai player was not able to match his nine-under opening effort, but still kept his nose in front of the chasing pack. Pittayarat finished 13 under. American David Lipsky, Chilean Felipe Aguilar and Australian Scott Hend are a shot back on 12 under. Hend’s seven-under 65 was the low round of the day, while Aguilar shot 67 and Lipsky matched Pittayarat’s 68. Denmark’s Anders Hansen was the top European after 36 holes, two shots off the lead.
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