Harrington on the charge for another Major win; Power seven back in Byron Nelson
Padraig Harrington. Picture: Chris Keane/USGA
Padraig Harrington has another major in his sights after he produced a barnstorming finish to go into the final round of the Regions Tradition just two shots behind Robert Karlsson and defending champion Steve Stricker in Alabama.
The reigning US Senior Open champion (51) birdied four of his last six holes to card a seven-under 65 and surge into solo third on 14-under par at Greystone Golf and Country Club outside Birmingham, Alabama.
“All to play for tomorrow,” Harrington said on social media after a round featuring an eagle, seven birdies and just two bogeys.
Former European number one Karlsson (53) fired a nine-under 63 to match the low score since this PGA TOUR Champions major moved to its current venue.
Harrington’s Ryder Cup nemesis, 2021 captain Stricker closed with four straight birdies for a 64 to match Karlsson at 16-under on the Founders Course.
A two-time winner of the Tradition and four time senior major champion, Stricker (56) got up and down on the par-five 18th for a bogey-free round.
The Charles Schwab Cup points leader has two wins and two runner-up finishes in his last four appearances at Greystone.
His finish saw him tie with11-time winner on the DP World Tour winner Karlsson, who has never won on the PGA Tour or the PGA Tour Champions.
"There's a lot of good players up at the top, so it's going to be enough for me to focus on my game and try to keep what I'm doing going, and then we'll see what happens," Karlsson said.
Paul Broadhurst (68) was three shots back with Alex Cejka, the 2021 Regions Tradition winner, Timothy O'Neal and Jerry Kelly four behind.
Second-round leader Ernie Els made double bogey on the par-5 second and shot 72 to fall six shots off the lead.
"Over the last few months, I've been working quite a bit," said Karlsson. "Even though I haven't put it together, I've seen sort of signs -- at least I've seen the signs, even though it has felt horrible at times."
On the PGA Tour, Seamus Power birdied the 14th and 18th to card a third round, two-under 69 and share 33rd place on nine-under heading into the final round of the AT&T Byron Nelson in Texas.
The West Waterford man is seven strokes behind Austin Ekroat, China’s Zecheng Dou and Ryan Palmer at TPC Craig Ranch.
Oklahoma-born Ekroat (24) shot an eight-under 63 and Zecheng “Marty” Dou (26) a bogey-free 64 as they seek their first PGA Tour wins as four-time winner Palmer (48) shot a 68 to lead by two strokes on 16-under from Sweden’s Vincent Norrman, Jason Day, Si Woo Kim and world number two Scottie Scheffler.
“A lot of job security,” Eckroat said of what a win would mean. “A lot of things come with winning a PGA TOUR event, and just hoping to get that done.”
Dou, who settled in the Dallas area about five years ago, doesn't even want to think about what a victory would mean in his home country.
“It’s going to be big for sure,” said Dou, a three-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour. “There is a whole lot more golf to play, so I’m in good in the position like this, creating more chances, and that’s all I’m thinking.”
Norrman shot 65 and was at 14 under with Scheffler (who shot 65), Day (66) and Kim (68) while there were 25 players within five shots of the lead.
