Harrington misses Pebble Beach cut

Pádraig Harrington putting in South Africa earlier this season. ©Catherine Kotze/SASPA www.golffile.iePádraig Harrington had 36 putts in a two over 72 to miss the cut by two strokes in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am as Shane Lowry’s Accenture Match Play presence remained in the balance.

The Dubliner, 41, has been struggling with his putting for close to two years but after encouraging performances on the greens in the first few weeks of the season, he appears to have lost some of that confidence since the final round of last week’s Phoenix Open.

He was poor on the greens on Sunday in Arizona and facing fast greens in California, as well as the famous poa at Pebble Beach he dislikes so much, he holed almot nothing as he carded rounds of 72-71-72 to finish outside the top 70 and ties.

Poor wedge play cost him over the closing holes of Friday’s third round at Pebble Beach, where he dropped three late shots in a 71 to fall back to one under for the tournament.

That left him close to the cut line and while a level par round at Monterey Peninsula would have seen him safely through to Sunday, he made just one birdie all day and had no way of wiping out a tally of three bogeys.

Slightly off in all areas of his game, the world No 47 followed five opening pars with a three-putt bogey at the 15th and then dropped another shot at the 17th when he was forced to take a penalty drop following a poor tee shot.

A two at the par-three third, his 12th, got him back to one over for the day but he bogeyed the next after a poor second and failed to make any further in-roads against par, finishing two shots outside the mark on one-over par.

FedEx Cup champion Brandt Snedeker shot a four under 68 at Pebble Beach to share the lead on 12 under par with James Hahn, who carded a six under 66 at Spyglass Hill.

They lead by a stroke from Chris Kirk - 64 at Monterey Peninsula - who is one of the posse of players who can push Shane Lowry out of the top 64 in the world and qualify for the WGC-Accenture Match Play in Tucson.

With world No 10 Phil Mickelson has indicated that he will be skipping the Match Play for a family break, Lowry would get into Tucson as the No 63 seed.

However, he could be pushed out of the top 64 available players and find himself relying on further withdrawals if results go against him at Pebble Beach and in the European Tour’s Joburg Open.

In South Africa, Richard Sterne is tied for the lead in an event he must win to make the move into the top 64 while on the Monterey Peninsula, there are still a handful of players who can damage his chances.

Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson in action at Pebble Beach on Friday. en Dennis/ www.golffile.ieBest placed of the lot is former Walker Cup player Kirk, who must win to move from 112th in the world to around 54th.

If both Sterne and Kirk win, Lowry will find himself 66th in the world on Monday and in dire need of more drop-outs to make it to Tuscon. But they aren’t the only players who can make the top 64.

Jimmy Walker, who must finish second, and Retief Goosen, who needs a win, are just four shots off the lead at Pebble Beach in joint sixth.

Swede Fredrik Jacobson, who must finish seventh or better, is joitn 11th with four other players who can also ovetake Lowry; Ted Potter Jnr, Kevin Stadler and Luke Guthrie

Here’s breakdown of all the players who could make the top 64 before the start of play this week and their status entering Sunday’s final rounds.

Lowry’s rivals - their ranking, what they need to do to make the top 64 and where they are after round 3

• 69 Geoff Ogilvy Aus AT&T 6th or better (CUT)
• 71 Brendon de Jonge Zwe AT&T 6th or better (T36)
• 73 Fredrik Jacobson Swe AT&T 7th or better (T11)
• 77 Kevin Na USA, AT&T 4th or better (T17)
• 81 Kristoffer Broberg Swe Joburg Top 2 (CUT)
• 83 Danny Willett Eng, Joburg Win (CUT)
• 87 Aaron Baddeley Aus, AT& 3rd or better (T27)
• 92 Ryan Palmer USA, AT&T 2nd or better (CUT)
• 93 Vijay Singh Fiji, AT&T 2nd or better (T32)
• 94 Richard Sterne Saf, Joburg Win (T1)
• 97 Jimmy Walker USA, AT&T 2nd or better (T6)
• 100 Seung-Yul Noh Kor, AT&T Win (T43)
• 108 Charlie Wi Kor, AT&T Win (T17)
• 112 Chris Kirk USA, AT&T Win (T3)
• 113 Luke Guthrie USA, AT&T 2nd or better (T11)
• 116 Johnson Wagner USA, AT&T Win (CUT)
• 118 Tommy Gainey USA, AT&T Win (CUT)
• 119 Retief Goosen Saf, AT&T Win (T6)
• 120 Kevin Stadler USA, AT&T Win (T11)
• 121 Casey Wittenberg USA, AT&T Win (CUT)
• 122 Josh Teater USA, AT&T Win (T32)
• 126 Matt Every USA AT&T Win (T17)
• 129 Ted Potter Jnr USA, AT&T Win (T11)
• 134 Harris English USA, AT&T Win (CUT)
• 146 Charlie Beljan USA, AT&T Win (CUT)
• 147 Brian Harman USA, AT&T Win (T36)
• 148 JB Holmes USA, AT&T Win (T56)