Harrington and Lowry playing catch up in the Middle East
KIAWAH ISLAND, SC - MAY 21: Padraig Harrington of Ireland chips onto the first hole during the second round of the 2021 PGA Championship held at the Ocean Course of Kiawah Island Golf Resort on May 21, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America)
Pádraig Harrington admits he needs “a fabulous weekend” to contend for the DP World Tour’s Ras al Khaimah Championship after he found his putting touch but lost his long game on day two.
The Dubliner (50) fired a two-under 70 in the second round at Al Hamra Golf Club in the UAE but lies nine strokes behind Scotland’s David Law in a share of 34th on five-under-par.
“I didn’t play well today, but I putted very well, which was nice to see because it hasn’t been like that,” said Harrington, who is second in the strokes gained putting statistics behind Spain’s Adrian Otaegui, who fired a course record, nine-under 63 to move up to third on 10-under. Scores
Law chipped in twice for eagles and added five birdies and a bogey in an eight-under 64 to lead by two strokes from Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard (65 today) on 14-under par.
Harrington did not putt his best in Abu Dhabi or Dubai, but after hitting the ball well from tee to green in his first two starts of the year, he knows he needs all aspects of his game to click over the weekend to have a chance.
“Last week, I was second in strokes gained tee to green and this week, I must be leading putting,” he said after taking just 24 putts and holing six between eight and 28 feet.
“If anybody has put it better than me, I’m going to have to ask questions. Parts of the game are showing up at different times and that’s kind of positive. If they all come together, that would be very nice.”
The three-time major winner single putted his first six greens, making birdie from six feet at the first and 28 feet at the second before knocking in a 20 footer for his par-five at the third after driving into water.
He did three-putt the ninth from 40 feet to turn in one-under but birdied the 11th and 13th coming home before handing another shot back at the par-five 14th after another poor drive.
“I’d like to have played better,” added Harrington, who made two nine footers for pars at the 15th and 18th. “I didn’t drive it well today, but I’ve done everything well in the three weeks, just not altogether as I said. I will take a lot from that. But it is on the right track.”
Harrington did not notice he was 11 strokes off the pace starting the day after Law’s record round, and he won’t be staring at leaderboards on Saturday.
“I didn’t notice,” he said of Law’s score. “I don’t look at leaderboards. I was playing my own game. “This weekend, I will just try and play every shot as well as I can and play each other as it comes. “You can’t force it. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works. So you just hit each shot and try and hit the best shot you can in that moment and progress from there.
“The problem with today I needed to be three or four shots better going into the weekend in order to feel like I can have a good weekend and contend. Now I need to have a fabulous weekend to contend.”
The cut fell at three-under in Ras al Khaimah, which meant Jonathan Caldwell and Tom McKibbin missed out.
Caldwell bogeyed his final hole, carding a second successive, one-under 71 miss out by a shot, while McKibbin did not drive the ball well and missed out by four strokes after a 74.
Winning will also be a challenging task for Shane Lowry after carding a level par 70 in the Asian Tour’s star-studded, PIF Saudi International in Jeddah.
The Offaly man is tied for 20th place on two-under, eight strokes behind American Harold Varner III and Spain’s Adri Arnaus.
“It’s good halfway cut to make and that’s three-in-a-row for me this year but then we got the tougher side of the draw out there today”, Lowry said
“It’s probably the windiest I’ve seen it since I first came over here. It means now the same for everyone over the weekend, so looking to now charge up the leaderboard. It would be nice to go out there tomorrow and shoot five or six-under as that would put me right up there.
“The good thing about my game over these two rounds is that I am driving the ball well, and I’m in control of my game”.
Varner III and Arnaus shot four-under-par 66s to lead on 10-under from Australian Cameron Smith and Matthew Wolff from the United States after they returned 66 and 67, respectively.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood is a shot further back after carding a 67 on another windy day at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.
Overnight leader Matteo Manassero from Italy fell back to five-under after a 73, with defending champion Dustin Johnson a shot further back after a 71
Graeme McDowell missed the four-over cut by two strokes after a second successive 73 with Ardglass’ Cormac Sharvin back on nine over after a 75.
Elsewhere, world number nine Bryson DeChambeau withdrew before the start in Saudi Arabia with hand and hip injuries.
The big-hitting American was visibly in pain after his opening 73 and withdrew, according to an official press release from the organisers of the $5 million event “with a left hand and left hip injury.”
DeChambeau appeared to hurt his wrist and back during the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines last week.
There have been reports he has been offered $130 million to compete in the proposed new Super Golf League, but the former US Open champion’s only reaction was an Instagram post on the news item with the comment “Wrong”.