As Leona falls back, Harrington still dreaming of becoming oldest PGA Tour winner
Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington during the second round of the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America
Pádraig Harrington made seven birdies in a super 66 to keep his hopes alive of becoming the oldest winner on the PGA Tour since Sam Snead in 1965.
The Dubliner (52) was outside the cut line after opening with a one-over 72 in the Mexico Open at Vidanta.
But he's now just seven shots behind the co-leaders England's Matt Wallace, Finn Sami Valimaki and Mexico's Alvaro Ortiz - tied for 31st on four-under after his six-under-par second round.
Only four players have won on the PGA Tour after turning 50 since 1975.
The most recent is Phil Mickelson, who won the 2021 PGA Championship at the age of 50.
But Snead remains the record-holder after he won the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open at 52 years, 10 months, 8 days, and Harrington (52 years, five months and 24 days) admits while it's a tall task, he could pull it off if he gives himself a chance.
"I think a big goal of mine would be trying to win a regular tournament," Harrington said last week when assessing his plans for the season on the Champions Tour and what he hopes will be four PGA Tour starts in a row.
"It's just that I am at that age that a win on the regular tour would be something special. I think I'm playing four PGA Tour events coming up. I'm swinging the club better than I've ever swung the club and I've started to putt well.
"Mentally, it can be a little bit harder. And these kids are really good now, so the standard is hard. But I'm quite bullish that if I can get myself into the right place on Sunday afternoon, I could take my chance.
"But I think as all the old guys do, we find it hard. We're under a lot of pressure. If I turn up at a PGA Tour event, I really feel I need my A-plus game. And it's tough when you feel like that.
"You play much better golf when you're within yourself. Tiger was famous for it. He said he could win with his B game and when you think he can win with your B game, your A game turns up.
"So yeah, that will be probably the biggest goal — to win on the regular tour. But really out here, the goal is to try and win tournaments and hopefully win some of the senior majors."
As Harrington moved up in the Mexico Open, Leona Maguire fell back in the Honda LPGA Thailand.
The Co Cavan star was tied for 10th overnight after a second-round 67 at Siam Country Club Old Course.
But she hit just seven fairways and mixed four birdies with three bogeys in a one-under 71 to slip to 21st on eight-under.
She's eight strokes behind Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit, who shot 66 to lead by three shots from Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom on 16-under as he bids to win for the second week running.
Tavatanakit won last week's Aramco Saudi Ladies International on the Ladies European Tour for her first win since she captured the 2021 ANA Inspiration for her maiden major win.
But she's aware that it won't be easy to win again in high temperatures in her home event and planned to take it easy before Sunday's final round.
"Yeah, I'm really proud of my performance today," she said of her post-round plans. "It's getting very tiring, exhausting in the heat. I'm just going to conserve my energy and take on the challenge tomorrow.”
