Harrington beats neck injury to remain in hunt for Senior PGA
BENTON HARBOR, MI - MAY 28: Padraig Harrington of Ireland hits his shot from the 17th tee during the third round of the 82nd KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship held at Harbor Shores Golf Club on May 28, 2022 in Benton Harbor, Michigan. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/PGA of America)
Pádraig Harrington overcame mid-round injury problems to keep his hopes of victory alive in the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in Michigan.
The three-time major winner went into the third round at Harbor Shores in a tie for 12th, just four shots behind Scott McCarron and Canada's Stephen Ames.
But while he is now five shots behind Ames, who carded a 67 to head Mike Weir and Bernhard Langer by two strokes on 12-under, Harrington made six birdies in a three-under 68 to move up to tied eighth.
The Dubliner (50) bogeyed the short second, but according to SI's Morning Read, he needed medical treatment for a suspected trapped nerve in his neck on the fifth hole, forcing his group to allow the group behind to play through.
Harrington recovered sufficiently to birdie the par-four eighth to get back to level par before coming home in 32 with three birdie twos on his card.
After making two a the 142-yard 11th, he birdied the par-four 12th, then made another two at the 196-yard 13th.
A dropped shot followed at the 14th before he birdied the par-five 15th, then made his third two of the day at the 199-yard 17th before finishing with a bogey.
BENTON HARBOR, MI - MAY 28: Padraig Harrington of Ireland reads his putt on the 16th green during the third round of the 82nd KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship held at Harbor Shores Golf Club on May 28, 2022 in Benton Harbor, Michigan. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/PGA of America)
A naturalised Canadian citizen from Trinidad and Tobago, Ames (58) is seeking his fourth win on the PGA TOUR Champions, having won three times on the main tour.
"I enjoyed the way I played, the way I handled myself," Ames said. "Second, I hit the ball right where I was looking at it all day — that helps.
"And again, I made some nice putts, which is obviously a key to shooting a good round on a major. Overall it was a fun day besides the pace of play, but other than that, it was pretty good.
"I'm going to go out there and play my own game. I can't control what anybody else is doing. The only thing I can control is myself, so I'm going to try and keep my emotions the way they are right now and play golf, and if it comes out, it comes out."
Weir and Langer (64) also shot four-under 67s to share second place on 10-under with Paul Goydos solo fourth on ninth-under, also after a 67.
"It's always fun to be in contention," said Langer, who is trying to win his 12th senior major.
The German will go out in the final group with Ames and Weir, who are both seeking Canada's first senior major, as Harrington sets off 33 minutes before the leaders with Thongchai Jaidee and American Shane Bertsch in the fourth last group.
Darren Clarke also shot 68 to share 26th on three-under,