Harrington in the mix at Regions Tradition
Padraig Harrington watches his tee shot on the ninth hole during the final round at the 2022 U.S. Senior Open at Saucon Valley C.C. (Old Course) in Bethlehem, Pa. on Sunday, June 26, 2022. (Chris Keane/USGA)
Pádraig Harrington put himself in prime position to challenge for another Senior Major when he opened with a four-under 68 in the Regions Tradition in Alabama.
The reigning US Senior Open champion (51) made five birdies and a bogey at Greystone Golf and Country Club to share fourth place with Steve Stricker, Ken Duke and Ernie Els,, one stroke behind leaders Billy Andrade, Timothy O’Neal and Paul Brroadhurst.
Darren Clarke was four under par with seven holes to play but dropped three shots coming home and carded a 71 that left him tied 28th.
On the DP World Tour, Kinsale’s John Murphy looks poised to make his first cut of the season after opening with a two-under 69 in the Soudal Open in Belgium.
The former Walker Cup star (24) has yet to make the weekend after missing ten successive cuts on the DP World Tour and two more on the Challenge Tour.
But he’s in a good position at Rinkven International in Antwerp, tied for 31st, five strokes behind Simon Forsström.
The Swede shot a bogey-free, seven under par 64 to lead by a shot from compatriot Jens Dantorp, James Morrison and Andrew Wilson of England, and Germany’s Marcel Siem.
West Waterford’s Gary Hurley had a far tougher day and opened with a two-over 73 that left him three strokes outside the projected cut line.
The DP World Tour confirmed it has issued sanctions for 26 players who competed in LIV Golf and Asian Tour events without releases.
Sanctions include fines and tournament suspensions based on individual cases and differences between each event's impact on the DP World Tour.
The fines range from £12,500 to £100,000 for each individual breach of the Conflicting Tournament Regulation.
“The total cumulative suspension imposed on any single player for breaches in the period June 22, 2022, to April 2, 2023 is a maximum of eight DP World Tour tournaments, comprising a combination of one or two week suspensions,” the Tour said in a statement..
“The suspensions imposed relate to regular season DP World Tour events (i.e. excluding Major Championships) and will run consecutively, effective from the Porsche European Open from June 1-4, 2023 – the first tournament chronologically on the DP World Tour schedule whose entry list remains open as of today.
“Players who have resigned their membership will not be eligible for reinstatement unless and until they pay their fines and their suspensions will apply from then onwards.
“Further sanctions for breaches of the Conflicting Tournament Regulation in events which occurred subsequent to April 2, 2023, will be considered in due course.”
On the PGA TOUR, Korea’s Sung Yoo Noh recovered from breaking his driver on the 13th and fired an eagle and nine birdies in an 11-under par 60 to grab the lead in the AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch.
His career low round (by three shots) on the PGA TOUR left him three shots clear of Adam Scott and China’s Zecheng Dou as he bids to win for the first time since the 2014 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Seamus Power drove the ball well but missed eight greens as he shot a two-under 69 to share 65th, finishing with his fourth birdie of the day at the 18th.
On the LPGA Tour, Stephanie Meadow two-over 74 left her tied 80th, eight shots behind Sei Young Kim in the Cognizant Founders Cup at Upper Montclair Country Club while at the LET’s Jabra Ladies Open, Olivia Mehaffey four-over 75 left her ten shots adrift of the Netherlands’ Ann Van Dam at at Evian Resort.
