Pádraig Harrington had every reason to smile at TPC Louisiana on Saturday night, not because he's rated Ireland's richest sportsman with an estimated worth of €43m (€9m more than Rory McIlroy) in the latest "guesstimates" by "The Sunday Times Rich List", but because he holed from nearly 50 feet for birdie on his last hole to make the 54-hole cut in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Of course, Ireland's three-time major winner does not play to make cuts but seeing a few putts disappear can only be good for his confidence in his continuing battle to rediscover that midas touch on the greens.

Having survived the cut on the limit, Harrington made eight pars in a row and holed nothing longer than a five footer before taking seven at the par-five 18th to turn for home with 54-hole cut looming.

After hitting his second shot to the 585-yard par-five into the water, he missed the green with his 220 yard fourth and then failed to hole a five-footer for bogey.

His response was excellent — three birdies in the next four holes — with the only abberation a missed three footer for birdie at the second.

After holing from seven feet for birdie at the first, he missed that tiddler at the next but then knocked in a six footer at the 168-yard third and 18 footer at the 482-yard fourth to get into the red for his round.

A bogey at the fifth, where he three-putted from 50 feet, left him in danger of missing out on the final round. 

But he holed that 49-footer at the par-three ninth to card a one under 71 and finish the day tied for 64th on three under.

He had little reason to celebrate, however, as he's 15 shots behind Korea's Seung-Yul Noh, who has yet to make a bogey in compiling rounds of 65, 68 and 65 to lead by two strokes from Keegan Bradley on 18 under par.

Irish Open champion Paul Casey, a player who could be useful to European Ryder Cup skipper Paul McGinley, is the leading European in tied seventh on 13 under after a 64.