Harrington kisses US Open goodbye as G-Mac endures putting nightmare
From the moment he missed this 10 footer at the 15th, his sixth, Graeme McDowell appeared to have little confidence on the greens at TPC Southwind. Picture via PGATOUR.com
Graeme McDowell three-putted five times as Pádraig Harrington bogeyed five of his six holes for a 75 that all but wrecked his chances of grabbing the FedEx St Jude Classic win he needs to qualify for next week's US Open.
It will take a miracle now for the Dubliner to come back from 11 strokes behind leaders Brooks Koepka, Greg Owen and Ryan Palmer and win on the PGA Tour for the second time this season.
But if Harrington's hopes of making it to Chambers Bay looks bleak, McDowell's confidence in doing anything positive there must be at an all time low after he three-putted five times and used the blade 36 times in a six over 76 at TPC Southwind in Memphis.
Starting on the back nine, McDowell holed a 23 footer at the 11th to get into the red but then bogeyed the 17th and 18th (where he three-putted for the first time from 35 feet) to turn in one over.
He'd missed a few decent chances with poor strokes on the first nine but his confidence with the putter appeared to leave him on his homeward nine as he followed a three-putt from 23 feet at the third for bogey with another three putt from inside four feet at the par-three fourth.
That added up to a double bogey five but after holing putts of four and a half and six feet on the next two greens for pars, he three-putted the seventh from 25 feet for another bogey and then followed a two-putt from 70 feet at the eighth with another three-putt from 52 feet at his final hole.
It all added up to a homeward nine of 40 and a six over round that leaves McDowell, already struggling for form this season, tied for 145th in a field of 155 following Dustin Johnson's withdrawal after nine holes with illness.
Harrington holed a six footer for a two at the fourth to dip under par but found water at the ninth and bogeyed there to turn in level before coming home in five over with those five bogeys in his last six a combination of wayward driving, loose approaches and uninspired putting.
Koekpa, Owen and Palmer shot six under 64s to led by one from Steven Alker, Brian Davis and Richard Sterne with Phil Mickelson, who will be trying to complete the career Grand Slam in the US Open, tied 20th after a 68.
Web.com Tour — Seamus Power continued his run of good form on the Web.com Tour in Ohio last night.
The West Waterford man shot a four under 68 to share 11th spot in the $600,000 Rust-Oleum Championship at Lakewood Country Club in Westlake.
He's five behind South African Dawie van der Walt, who blasted a nine under 62 to lead by two.
