Harrington closes in on lead

Padraig Harrington closed to within one stroke of the lead with a superb start to the delayed final round at the US Tour’s Capital Open in Maryland today.

Four behind South African Rory Sabbatini when he resumed on seven under par, the Irishman birdied four of the first seven holes.

The gap became one when Sabbatini, having grabbed birdies himself at the first and fifth, ran up a six at the long sixth.

However, Harrington then bogeyed the eighth to slip to third place, one behind Ryder Cup team-mate Niclas Fasth and two behind Sabbatini.

Regardless of the outcome, just to be in contention was a confidence boost for Harrington and Fasth on the eve of the US Open starting at Olympia Fields near Chicago on Thursday.

2 GOLF Harrington

Harrington's hopes of a first US Tour win - his million-dollar victory over Tiger Woods in the Target World Challenge in California last December was unofficial - nose-dived when he double-bogeyed the 10th just as he did in the second round.

At eight under he was down to joint seventh, four behind Sabbatini, while Fasth looked completely out of it when he followed a double bogey on the eighth with a triple bogey at the par three ninth.

He was only 15th, six behind, and the best European now was Bernhard Langer, who matched Harrington’s outward 33 and then birdied the 12th to go joint third on nine under.

Scotland’s Paul Lawrie, 21st with a round to go, had a quadruple bogey eight on the fourth en route to an outward 41 – and then double-bogeyed the 10th like Harrington.