Harrington starts to claw back

Open champion Padraig Harrington finally began to make his mark in the European Open at The London Club today.

Nine behind after an opening 72 and 11 adrift following his 70 yesterday, Harrington resumed with a birdie three and then eagled the 541-yard fifth.

At five under par the Dubliner still had a gulf between him and leader Ross Fisher, but he was into a tie for 13th place and was doing a power of good to his Ryder Cup campaign.

Without a victory since his play-off triumph against Sergio Garcia at Carnoustie last July, Harrington stands 17th on the points table with just eight more weeks of qualifying left.

Only the top 10 earn automatic places in Nick Faldo’s team at the end of August, but with Luke Donald, Paul Casey and Colin Montgomerie all outside as well at the moment Harrington knows the importance of pushing for as many points as he can get even when a tournament might be out of his reach.

England’s Steve Webster, 13th on the table, was also going well among the early starters in the third round. Birdies at the first fifth and eighth took him to the turn in 33 and after surviving the halfway cut with nothing to spare at one under he was into the top 20.

Harrington, having made a 30-footer for his eagle, converted a 20-foot chance for birdie at the next and when he two-putted the downwind 563-yard eighth, he was seven under and into a tie for fifth.

His outward 31 – it could have been better, but a 15-footer on the ninth eluded him – was the best of the morning and with the wind picking up in strength it could remain the best all day.