Padraig Harrington saves par after playing from his knees in Houston
Padraig Harrington was forced to get down on his knees to save par en route to a level par 70 in the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
The Dubliner (52), who is bidding to become the oldest winner on the PGA Tour and earn a spot in the Masters, made four birdies and four bogeys, but the pick of his ten pars came at the 569-yard 16th at Memorial Park.
Harrington looked away when he pulled his drive under trees.
But he didn’t give up and got down on his knees, which are giving him trouble, and poked a five-wood 120 yards down the right rough before firing his 205-yard third into a swale right of the green.
He chipped to five feet and promptly rolled in the par putt before parring the last two holes to finish the day tied for 54th on level par.
“Ended up making my par,” Harrington told his 227,000 followers on X.
“Use a five wood if possible for this as you’re less likely to snag the heel and it takes the shank out of play. #paddysgolftips.”
The Dubliner lies six strokes behind Wilson Furr and Taylor Moore, who shot six-under 64s to lead by a shot from Davis Riley, Joe Highsmith and world number one Scottie Scheffler, who is bidding to become the first player to win three strokeplay events in a row since Rory McIlroy in 2014.
Harrington had just 28 putts but lamented missing five putts inside eight feet.
“Missed five putts under eight feet on good greens today, but I holed the one I needed last Sunday afternoon,” he said, recalling his winning putt at the Hoag Classic on which gave him his seventh win on PGA Tour Champions in California on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Leona Maguire had 33 putts in a one-under 71, leaving her tied for 96th after the opening round of the LPGA’s Ford Championship presented by KCC at Seville Golf and Country Club in Arizona.
She’s nine strokes behind Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn, whose bogey-free 63 gave her a one-shot lead over Germany’s Isi Gabsa, Australia’s Gabriella Ruffels and Spanish duo Azahara Muñoz and Carlota Ciganda.
Jordanstown’s Stephanie Meadow is tied for 115th after a level par 72.
On the Ladies European Tour, Castlewarden’s Lauren Walsh is tied for 24th after opening with a two-under 70 in the Women’s NSW Open at Magenta Shores Golf and Country Club in Australia this morning.
She’s five shots behind Australian amateur Justice Bosio (20) while Olivia Mehaffey is tied for 66th after a 73.
“I don’t think I could have started any better! I played really solid golf today, three birdies and then four birdies on each nine,” said the amateur.
“Having bogey-free rounds is always good, I feel like when I play well, I won’t have a bogey. I stuck a couple of shots close; my iron play was just really good all day.
“My driver was good, I didn’t miss any fairways, so I was just very consistent all the way through. It’s good this week playing with the LET players and seeing how my game matches up to theirs.”
