Harrington nine back in Masters quest at Mexico Open
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’s dream of a Masters return may have to wait until next week after he opened with a one-over 72 in the PGA Tour’s Mexico Open at Vidanta.
The veteran Dubliner (52) hasn’t played at Augusta National since he missed the cut in his 16th appearance at the Cathedral of Pines in 2022.
But with the winner of this week’s $8.1 million full-field event securing a trip down Magnolia Lane, he has the first of two bites of the cherry at Vidanta Vallarta this week as he looks to become the oldest winner on tour.
The three-time major champion was two-under with four holes to play and within touching distance of the leaders.
But he three-putted the par-five sixth (his 15th), then bogeyed the eighth and double-bogeyed the 186-yard ninth after a visit to water.
He ended the day nine shots behind South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen, whose eight-under 63 gave him a one-shot lead over Sami Valimaki and a two shot advantage over early pace-setters David Lipsky, Henrik Norlander, Cristobal Del Solar and MJ Dafue.
If he fails to win this week, Harrington will have another chance to qualify for the Masters when he goes for his third win in the Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches (formerly the Honda Classic), at PGA National in Palm Beach next week.
But he won’t have Tiger Woods’ son Charlie (15) for company after the teenager shot a 16-over 86 in a pre-qualifier at Lake Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida yesterday.
Woods Jnr needed a top-five finish to make next week’s Monday qualifier for four spots but ran up an octuple bogey 12 at the seventh.
Woods Snr, who withdrew from last week’s Genesis Invitational with ‘flu, was not present as Charlie, who had a friend on his bag, was watched by his mother, Elin.
He was meant to play in a threeball with Olin Browne Jnr, son of former PGA TOUR winner Olin Browne, and Rosapenna’s Ruaidhri McGee.
In the end, McGee did not play in the event but Woods’ Jnr had little luck alongside the American, who shot a two-over 72 that also left him outside the top five.
The final cut-off was three under with Oughterard’s Devin Morely two shots shy after a 69 with Kerryman Mark Murphy a shot further back .
Purcell’s mixed bag
On the DP World Tour, Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell Purcell saw three birdies cancelled out by six bogeys as he opened with a three-over 74 in the Magical Kenya Open at Muthaiga.
The former Walker Cup star (26), who made more birdies and eagles than the winner in last week’s Dimension Data Pro-Am winner but finished 15th, once again paid for his errors.
That said, making the bogeys but not the birdies would be a far bigger problem.
He was tied for 106th in Nairobi, where the Netherlands’ Darius van Driel carded a five-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over the field.
It was a far more low-scoring at the Challenge Tour’s NMB Championship at Humewood Golf Club in South Africa, where France’s Martin Couvra made three eagles and five birdies in a bogey-free, 11 under 61 to lead by two shots.
Jonathan Caldwell’s six-under 66 left him tied 17th with Dermot McElroy was just inside the top 60 after a 69.
But John Murphy (70), Ronan Mullarney (71), Gary Hurley (71) and Conor O’Rourke all have work to do to make the cut.
In Morocco, Lauren Walsh and Olivia Mehaffey were tied 25th, eight behind Mexico’s Maria Fassi, after opening with level par 72s in the LET’s Lalla Meryem Cup at Royal Dar Es Salam.
