Harrington on the back foot again

Padraig Harrington is running out of time to be ready for the Open after a confidence-sapping performance in the second round of the Ladbrokes.com Irish PGA.

The Dubliner hit a one under 70 to grab a one-stroke lead over Dundalk’s Leslie Walker on four under par at The European Club.

But he completely lost his trust in his swing and spent nearly three hours bashing balls on the range in the afternoon to try rectify his faulty backswing in time to chase a hat-trick of Claret Jugs at Turnberry next week.

With just two days to go before he jets off to Scotland, he said: “Hopefully it will be better tomorrow. We’ll have to wait and see. I’m not going to panic over one day, let’s say.”

One behind Walker overnight after a sublime first round putting performance, Harrington raced into the lead with three birdies in his first 12 holes before his game started to fall apart at the seams.

But had it not been for his brilliant short game and competitive drive, he could easily have dropped several more shots coming home.

The first blow came at the par-four fourth, where he took one hand off the club in disgust as he watched his three-iron tee shot sail right into the deep jungle, forcing him to chip back into play.

Still a class act, he almost saved par after a sublime 188-yard five iron cut through the wind to nestle just six feet from the flag but missed the putt on the high side.

But he could thank is putter for rescuing him from an even bigger disaster at the par-three sixth, where he tugged a cut-off eight iron into a water hazard.

After a penalty drop on the bank, his chip came up 10 feet short but he steeled himself to “save” bogey and then got up and down from 20 yards left of the seventh for his par four after two successive pulls.

He said: “I obviously didn’t play very well. I seemed to lose a bit of rhythm with the swing out there. It was gradually getting a little bit worse as the round went on but I can’t really complain about the score.

“When you are thinking about your swing, you overthink it, you doubt it and you don’t commit to it and the idea this week is to see those mistakes.

“The ideal would be to leave here on Sunday where I am committed to every shot, so that I am committed for next Thursday. I’ve got two more days to get it right because I failed miserably on it today.”

As overnight leader Walker had six birdies, three bogeys and two double bogeys in a rollercoaster 72 to slip from first to second, Banbridge’s Richard Kilpatrick fired a second successive 70 to lurk just two shots off the pace on two under.

The best round of the day came from Challenge Tour player Simon Thornton, who hit seven birdies in a four under par 67 to equal Walker’s best of the week effort and move to within four shots of the lead on level par.

Open qualifier David Higgins hit a second successive 76 to make the 13 over par cut with just three shots to spare.

But Marian Riordan, the first woman to tee it up in the history of the championship, missed out by a shot after a dropping three late shots in a 76.

Ladbrokes.com PGA Irish Championship, The European Club (par 71)

After 36 holes

Qualifiers:

138 – P Harrington (Unattached) 68, 70;

139 – L Walker (Dundalk) 67, 72;

140 – R Kilpatrick (Banbridge) 70, 70;

142 – S Thornton (Unattached) 75, 67;

143 – B McGovern (Headfort) 72, 71;

144 – G Lunny (Naas) 70, 73; G Robinson (St Helen’s Bay) 70, 74; S McMonaghle (Unattached) 69, 75;

146 – B McElhinney (Team Ireland) 70, 76; J Kelly (St Margaret’s) 75, 71; T Rice (Unattached) 70, 76;

147 – D Mooney (Unattached) 70, 77; P O’Rourke (Green 18) 71, 76;

148 – W O’Callaghan ( www.wayneocallaghangolf.com) 76, 72;

149 – I Kerr (Bunclody) 75, 74; M Staunton ( www.foreireland.com) 76, 73;

150 – P Martin (Riverside Academy) 71, 79; J Bolger (Kilkenny) 76, 74; T Mulally (Moyvalley) 74, 76; R Giles (Greenore) 76, 74;

151 – M Collins (www.foreireland.com) 73, 78; D O’Sullivan Club La Playa) 75, 76; M McTernan (Co Sligo) 76, 75; T Higgins ( www.foreireland.com) 75, 76; C Mallon (Narin & Portnoo) 76, 75; D Gleeson (McGuirk’s Golf) 77, 74;

152 – D Higgins (Waterville) 76, 76; E Brady (Clontarf) 77, 75; E Tracey (Ballina) 73, 79; L Bowler (Wexford) 78, 74.

153 – J Dignam (Slade Valley) 77, 76; C McNamara (Unattached) 75, 78; S Fitzpatrick (Enniscorthy) 80, 73;

154 – D Mortimer (www.foreireland.com) 74, 80; J Dwyer (Ashbourne) 77, 77;

P Walton (Unattached) 79, 75; M Sludds (Unattached) 81, 73; G Cullen (Beaverstown) 78, 76; M Mulryan (Athenry) 76, 78;

155 – K McGrath (Birr Golf Shop & DR) 79, 76; D Ryan (Cahir Pk) 77, 78; B Trainor (Unattached) 74, 81; D McWilliams (Unattached) 74, 81; F Howley (Carton House) 80, 75; J Scullion (Royal Co Down) 76, 79; S Young (Foyle) 75, 80; N Howley (Balbriggan) 76, 89; J McDermott (Dun Laoghaire) 75, 80; C Carroll (Bray) 80, 75; M Allan (Pure Golf) 80, 75;

Non-Qualifiers:

156 – Marian Riordan (Greystones) 80, 76; P Jones (Coollattin) 78, 78; Gary Howie (Adare Manor) 75, 81; L Harrington (Limerick) 82, 74; J Langan (Leopardstown) 79, 77;

157 – S Taylor (The Island) 78, 79; J Sugrue (Tralee) 80, 77; S Clinton (Portsalon) 81, 76; J Geraghty (Unattached) 81, 76;

158 – M O’Shea (Callan) 80, 78; B McDermott (Castlecomer) 83, 75; J Murray (Malahide) 76, 82; P O’Hagan (PM Corporate Events) 78, 80; P Dooley (Cork) 80, 78; O Grogan (Moate) 78, 80;

160 – E McLoughlin (Wicklow) 79, 81; L Hynes (Ballinstoe) 86, 74; G Burke (Curragh) 82, 78; R Daly (Newlands) 79, 81; R Hutton (Downpatrick) 81, 79;

161 – P O’Boyle (Bandon) 77, 84; G Wardlow (Dunmurry) 78, 83; L Owens (Killiney) 84, 77; G Egan (Naas DR) 79, 82; K McGivern (Kelly’s Golf Centre) 80, 81;

162 – M Ward (P&M Golf Superstore) 77, 85; I Kearney (Doonbeg) 85, 77; R Whitford (Knock) 84, 78.

163 – D Walker (Foxrock) 82, 81; G Loughrey (Roganstown) 79, 84; R Donagher (Ardee) 84, 79; P Collins (Ardglass) 88, 84;

164 – K Foy (Stepaside) 84, 80; J Kane-Nash (Greystones) 89, 75; P McCanny (Birr Golf Shop & DR) 80, 84;

165 – M O’Mahoney (McGuirk’s Golf) 87, 78; S Hoey (Waterford Castle) 81, 84;

166 – B Kerley (Greelife) 86, 80; C McVitty (Bundoran) 83, 83; DP Jones (Unattached) 80, 86; J Foster (Greenacres) 84, 82;

167 – I St John (Nenagh) 83, 84; G Massey (PGA National) 85, 82;

168 – D Carroll (Seapoint) 83, 85;

169 – K O’Neill (Co Sligo) 96, 73; G Byrne (PGA National) 92, 77;

170 – T McIntyre (Ballyclare) 89, 81; S Madden (Limerick) 75, 75; B Cosgrove (Athy DR) 89, 81;

172 – P Vaughan (Ardglass) 88, 84;

180 – P Ring (Elm Green) 97, 80;

182 – P McGuirk (Co Louth) 93, 89;

NR – G Kavanagh (Delgany) 83, NR; J Heggarty (Claremorris) 74, NR; S O(‘Grady (Black Bush) 79, NR; RD Kelly (Tipperary) 86, NR; M Heinemann (Skellig Bay) NR, NR; F Dwyer (Celbridge DR) NR, NR; B O’Brien (Castlewarden) NR, NR; J Greenaway (Banbridge) NR, NR; Twitchett (Hilton) 85, NR; D O’Donoghue (Ashbourne) 88, NR; C Jelly (Banbridge) 82, NR; B Hamill (Hamill Academy) 79, NR.