Padraig Harrington happy to share second in Honda Classic

Padraig Harrington breathed a huge sigh of relief having holed a testing par putt at the last after moments earlier losing a ball in the third round of the rain-affected Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

The par, from just over nine feet, presented Harrington with a level par 71 and a share of second place on six-under par with American Patrick Reed (70) and three strokes behind playing partner Ian Poulter (66).

Harrington has just over 30 minutes before heading into the fourth round of the $US 6.1m event and was likely to play less than nine holes before darkness descended on the PGA National course, in addition to an 8am (local time) restart today.

“It was some par there at 18 but when I got up there I was hoping my ball may have been in a bunker or stuck in the bank but it wasn’t,” he said.

“I wasn’t even considering it found the water but clearly we couldn’t find it so it must have been short.

“My drive wasn’t all that good but then my second shot kind of ballooned up in the wind and that’s why it came up short.”

Harrington went into the third round leading the remaining 71 players but was in trouble down the left side of the second hole where his ball came to rest in a hazard.

The Dubliner, who is chasing a first PGA Tour victory since capturing the 2008 PGA Championship, took off his shoes and socks and donned a waterproof jacket fearing being left covered in mud.

However Harrington hit the ball ‘clean’ but, after playing his third shot from short of the green to just four feet, he horribly missed the par putt.

He then dropped shots at seven and 10 but made amends with birdies at 11 and 13 before ending with five straight pars.

“I played much better than I scored and just struggled with the greens but then it was good to get it more together on my last nine holes,” he said.

“There was definitely a lot of missed opportunities and I will be looking to continue the way I played the back nine into what holes we can play now in the fourth round before play gets called for the day.”

Meantime Rory McIlroy will be playing golf later today in an event featuring fellow Major winners Bubba Watson, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Jason Dufner and possibly Jack Nicklaus.

As well, the like of Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Lee Westwood are expected to tee up.

There will be no prize money, no world ranking points, no TV coverage, no spectators and certainly no golfing media.

The pro-member event is behind held at the ultra-exclusive Semionole Golf Club in Juno Beach, and a just a short drive from the Honda Classic venue.

McIlroy will be playing alongside club president Jimmy Dunne, the co-founder of New York-based investment bank Sandler O’Neill & Partners LP.

McIlroy had singled out Dunne as the best non-pro he enjoys playing alongside.

However Woods will not be competing with rumours starting to surface the 14-time Major winner may return to competition in the April 2nd starting Shell Houston Open which is being staged the week prior to the Masters.