Harrington rekindles "old memories" to make Hoylake cut

Padraig Harrington

Pádraig Harrington rekindled "old memories" when he made two late clutch putts to join Rory McIlroy for the weekend at The Open as Seamus Power and Shane Lowry crashed out at Hoylake.

Two-over for the day and five-over for the Championship with eight holes to play, the three-time major champion birdied the 12th from eight feet and rolled in a 25-footer from off the green at the 16th before saving par from 12 feet at the 17th.

He needed only a par five at the 18th to finish on the projected three-over cut line but had his heart in his mouth after he got a "water ball" and his approach squirted right, finishing just yards from out of bounds.

"I'm pleased, obviously," Harrington said after chipping on and two-putting for a level par 71. "I played really super golf for probably 13, 14 holes, and I just couldn't get anything out of it. Couldn't hole a putt.

"Then missed a short putt on 15, which I needed, but then all of a sudden I hole two great putts on 16 and 17 when my back is to the wall, which is exceptionally pleasing… Old memories in that. Good memories."

He's now made the cut in every PGA Tour event he's played this year, including the last three Majors.

"I'm looking for two low ones at the weekend," he said. "I've got to go out there and play the best golf I can on the weekend, and if I can hole some putts -- gives me some confidence holing the two putts on 16 and 17 for sure."

Power made two double bogeys in a 75 to finish a shot outside the cut on four-over and now has two weeks off before the FedEx Cup playoffs, where he needs to impress to keep his Ryder Cup hopes alive.

“Yeah. Yeah, hopefully. So two weeks off now and then get ready for Memphis,” he said. “It's early August, so looking forward it. The courses, I heard good things about Chicago and I really like Memphis.”.

He drove out of bounds at the eighth and was forced to take a penalty drop at the 10th before taking two to get out of a bunker at the 13th.

“Yeah, couple of poor shots,” Power said. “Actually played nicely but really struggled on the greens for a couple days and a couple mistakes.

“I think I only made two birdies again today, was it? I think I only made four total. Not enough. Just disappointing, kind of poor golf to be honest.”

While he was frustrated to miss the cut by a shot, he felt his game was close.

“I was saying to Simon on the last, this is probably the best I felt in my game for a long time. It's kind of just golf being golf at the moment. It's kind of frustrating, but it happens.”

As for his hip, he said: “It was fine, actually. I kind of tweaked it a little bit at the end, but it was fine. This week it was able to get a handle on that, so we'll see.”

Lowry was sitting on the cut mark with five holes to go, but after he double-bogeyed the 14th and three-putted for par at the par-five 15th, he snapped a club over his neck as he bogeyed the 16th before a closing bogey six left him seven-over after a 77

Darren Clarke also shot 77 to finish on eight-over, but amateur Alex Maguire was upbeat despite following his 72 with an 80.