Padraig Harrington gave his Open Championship chances a shot in the arm by cruising into a comfortable six-shot lead heading into the final round of the Ladbrokes.com Irish PGA at The European Club.

Philip Walton wants to complete a dream week and rekindle his flagging desire to play the game by battling Padraig Harrington for his fifth Irish PGA title at the European Club.

The 46-year old Ryder Cup hero has been in the golfing doldrums since he lost his tour card in 1999 and confessed yesterday that he hasn’t enjoyed his profession since he holed the winning putt for Europe at Oak Hill 14 years ago.

Open champion Padraig Harrington got the tough links warm-up he was looking for when he carded a battling four-over par 75 to grab a share of the lead in the weather-delayed Ladbrokes.com Irish PGA Championship at The European Club.

The defending champion took just over eight hours to complete a stop-start opening round during which his progress was delayed by more than two hours by fog.