Pádraig Harrington overcomes ‘crazy' distractions with bogey-free 65 to lead Senior Open
It was an impressive display of scoring by the Dubliner (53), who admitted he had the rub of the green on the famous Old Course.
'I rode my luck a lot today,' Harrington said after a round that included brilliant recoveries from the heather at the 16th and the trees at the 17th. 'Got my head in the game. Did a lot of good stuff mentally. Short game was sharp.'
Despite a three-putt par at the long 14th, he used his length to two-putt for birdies at the first and the driveable ninth and 11th before following a birdie two at the long 15th with another from eight feet the last.
More impressively, he survived what he described as three 'crazy' distractions.
'As I was teeing off on seven, I was nearly hit by an acorn coming out of the tree,' Harrington said. 'On that par-five [14th], a bug landed right down by my shoe as I took my backstroke, and I got completely distracted.
'Then on 17, it was actually a leaf. I didn't know what it was. Came in in front of my ball and nearly topped it. I had a weird day in many ways. They didn't cost me.'
Despite scoring well, Harrington wants to play better over the weekend and add the Senior Open to his two wins in The Open Championship, having finished second twice and fifth last year.
'Look, I wouldn't want to play like that,' he said on a day when Darren Clarke shot 69 to share 36th on one under but Paul McGinley missed the one-over cut by a shot after a 70. 'Well, I would like to score like that the next two days, but I wouldn't think I'm going to get away with it. Hopefully, it will improve a little bit over the next few days.'
In the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open at Dundonald Links, Leona Maguire has her work cut out to catch rookie Lottie Woad.
The English starlet shot a bogey-free, seven-under 65 to lead on her professional debut by two strokes from Denmark's Nanna Koerstz Madsen and world No 1 Nelly Korda, who both shot 66, on 12-under par. After winning the KPMG Women's Irish Open as an amateur – confirmed for the Palmer South Course at The K Club next August – by six shots, Woad finished third in the Amundi Evian Championship and turned professional.
She had eight single putts yesterday compared to just three for Maguire, who had 33 putts in a one-under 71 that left her tied for eighth, six shots off the pace.
Meanwhile, Fota Island's David Howard edged closer to winning his first Irish cap when he battled his way into the last 16 of the Pierse Motor Group South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Lahinch. Ranked second in the Order of Merit with the top two automatically selected tomorrow night for next month's matches at Woodhall Spa, he beat Palmerstown House's Ross McCormack 2&1 before seeing off Charleville's Jordan Boles 6&5 to set up a last-16 clash with Irish Close champion Thomas Abom.
Abom's brother Liam beat Josh Hill one up and now faces Mark Cadden, but leading qualifier Dylan Keating fell in round one to Seán Desmond, Caolan Rafferty's rival on Saturday, as Colm Campbell lost on the 19th to Paul O'Hanlon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Padraig Harrington put through his GAA paces by viral star Rory Stories
Padraig Harrington was put through his paces as he took on viral comedian Rory Stories in a GAA and golfing challenge. The pair were invited to the K Club in Kildare where they were on hand to help promote this year's Irish Open held at the 2006 Ryder Cup venue. Harrington will play in the event this September, while Rory, an 18-handicapper, will likely watch from behind the ropes. To make things fair in the challenge, it was a best-of-three closest-to-the-pin with a hurling round, a football round, and a golfing round. Harrington, a three-time major winner and short game wizard, had an advantage in the golf round, while Rory, a talented GAA player in his prime, would have been favoured for the other two rounds. Although sport has a funny way of making things even, all three rounds were hotly contested. Harrington grew up playing GAA before focusing on golf. This year's competition takes place from September 4-7, and Ireland's top stars, such as Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Seamus Power, are all confirmed to play. Alongside them will be Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, while other star players will also be confirmed closer to the time. The one thing working against the Irish Open is that Donald will likely announce his Ryder Cup picks before the start of the Irish Open. Donald did the same in 2023 before teeing it up at the K Club.
The 42
a day ago
- The 42
Ireland and Shamrock Rovers teenage star Ralph signs for Sheffield United
IRELAND UNDERAGE INTERNATIONAL Joy Ralph has signed for Sheffield United. The 19-year-old striker makes the move from Shamrock Rovers, joining the WSL 2 outfit on a one-year deal, with an option for a further year, for an undisclosed fee. Ralph, one of the brightest young talents in the Women's Premier Division, starred for DLR Waves before linking up with Rovers midway through the 2023 season. Advertisement The Dubliner scored 23 goals in 53 appearances for the Hoops across years; was nominated for Young Player of the Year and named in the PFA Ireland Women's Premier Division Team of the Year in 2024. 'I'm absolutely buzzing,' U19 international Ralph said upon signing her first professional contract. 'From being a young child I've always wanted to play professionally in England and to get this opportunity, I'm really, really grateful for it.' "It's been a bit hectic but I wouldn't want to have it any other way. Getting the tour of Bramall Lane, it's unbelievable, it's just breathtaking when you first walk in and I'm absolutely buzzing to step onto the pitch..." Joy Ralph on moving to the Blades 🎙️ — Sheffield United Women (@sufc_women) August 5, 2025 Head coach Ash Thompson added: 'We've been monitoring Joy closely for some time now and really pleased to have been able to get the deal done ahead of the new season. 'She's a tenacious and exciting young forward who has been a proven goal scorer in Ireland for a number of seasons now, and we only see her adding more competition and quality to our attacking options.' Rovers confirmed the move in a statement of their own. 'Everyone at the Club would like to thank Joy for her contribution to Shamrock Rovers over the past 24 months and wish her all the very best with the move to the UK.' It's the latest significant loss for the Hoops following the departures of Ruesha Littlejohn and Katie Keane last month. Keane's move to Leicester City was confirmed by the WSL club last night. Stephanie Zambra is in interim charge after Collie O'Neill recently stepped down.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
Khabib Nurmagomedov makes Conor McGregor comeback claim but ‘he has to change the way how he's living'
McGregor has not fought since 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in a second straight loss to Dustin Poirier, and the former champion's past triumphs have been overshadowed by legal battles in recent years. Last week, McGregor lost an appeal against the verdict of a civil rape case, in which a woman won a claim against him in November. The Dubliner, 37, continues to deny the accusations against him. McGregor has also expressed a desire to run for the presidency in Ireland, with many of his recent social-media posts proving divisive as he has explained his stance on immigration and other issues. Yet Nurmagomedov, who retired unbeaten as the UFC lightweight champion in 2020, has said there is a way for McGregor to emerge from what has appeared to be a chaotic period in his life and career. The Russian, who submitted McGregor in their 2018 title fight to end one of the bitterest rivalries in UFC history, discussed the matter at Tilles Center in New York on Sunday (August 3). 'I don't want to mention his name,' Nurmagomedov said. 'This is punishment, this is punishment. And he keeps doing this, keeps doing this, keeps doing this. Everything that happened.' Nurmagomedov elsewhere mentioned a 2019 incident in which the Crumlin-born fighter pleaded guilty to assault after punching a man in a bar. 'But the most beautiful part of this,' Nurmagomedov, 36, continued, '[is] Allah always gives for us – it doesn't matter, anybody, everybody – a chance to come back. Always, in this world, a chance to come back. 'This is the most beautiful thing. It doesn't matter how you're bad, Allah is going to give you a chance to always come back. I think he has a chance, and he has to change the way how he's living. 'Why am I talking about this? [...] If he's going to change, he can change with him so many lives, too. And that's why I wish him to change himself.' The Independent approached McGregor's representatives for comment on Nurmagomedov's interview. In the build-up to their 2018 fight, McGregor threw a dolly at the window of a bus in which Nurmagomedov and other UFC athletes were sitting. He was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief, then was further charged with menacing and reckless endangerment at his arraignment. McGregor pleaded no contest to a count of disorderly conduct and was ordered to perform five days of community service and attend anger management classes. The former two-weight champion recently re-entered the UFC's drug-testing pool, as he targets a return to the mixed martial arts promotion. He has expressed an interest in competing on a potential fight card at the White House, an event mentioned by US president Donald Trump in recent weeks. Trump, who attends UFC events semi-regularly, is a friend of UFC president Dana White.
