Harrington needs a miracle

Padraig Harrington was left to regret a poor finish to his second round at Royal Lytham. Photo Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.iePadraig Harrington admits he needs a miracle win The Open for the third time after a devastating finish to his second round.

The Dubliner, 40, was cruising at two under for the day before imploding with four bogeys in his last eight holes

He’s a massive 12 shots behind leader Brandt Snedeker after a 72 left him alongside Rory McIlroy on two over.

And that means he needs to mount the biggest 36-hole comeback for 92 years to claim the a third Claret Jug at RoyalLytham tomorrow

Bitterly disappointed to bogey the 11th, 15th, 16th and 18th, Harrington said: “It’s frustrating.  I was two under par looking to go forward with 10 under leading.

“If you’re in there three or four under you know you’re well in the tournament.  But at two over you’re hoping for miracles on the weekend.

“I think I can chase it, yes, but you need to get the breaks and I’m depending on getting breaks tomorrow.  

“If I was three under par or so I’d be depending on just playing good golf, whereas now I’m depending on playing good golf AND getting a little bit lucky.”

Harrington made the perfect start with a birdie at the first and came through his first crisis at the tough sixth with an eight foot par save.

He e birdied the eighth from 10 feet to move close to the leaders on two under before Snedeker hit the accelerator.

As the American burned up the course, Harrington unraveled on the back nine.

He bogeyed the par-five 11th when he took four to get down from greenside sand - thinning his third over the green and following that with a poor chip.

But while he continued to battle, holing from eight feet for par at the 13th after plugging his drive in the rough, nothing went his way.

After failing to get up and down for par from the back of the 15th, he missed a five footer for par at the 16th and then bunkered his tee shot at the last and had to hole a six footer just to make sure he got in for the weekend.

Harrington groaned: “’I’m really disappointed with four over for the last eight holes.

“The bogeys on the 11th, 15th and 16th weren’t that bad shots so it is a disappointing one.  Certainly I’ll have a long day ahead of me thinking about those.”

Harrington has made big comebacks before, shooting a pair of 66s at the weekend to win the 2008 US PGA in Detroit

But he was just six shots behind JB Holmes that time and needs the wind to blow for the next two days if he is to make up a 12 shot deficit on the man from Nashville.

While 35mph gusts are forecast for tomorrow, today is set to be another calm day.

Trying to look on the bright side before heading to the range to bash balls, Harrington said: “The best thing for me would be that Brandt Snedeker has a big lead on his own and comes back to the field.

“It’s going to be calm again tomorrow so that’s no use to me. I think I need the wind to blow, no matter what.”