Golf star one shot off leaders after 'a few pints of Guinness' on eve of Open
The world No.23 followed that up with an opening 68 on Thursday to sit a shot off the lead shared by Matt Fitzpatrick.
LIV star Hatton said: 'To be honest, it reminded me of being a kid again and playing the local course. We had a few pints of Guinness afterwards.
'Some people might say it is not the best preparation for a Major, but it was good for me. I'm happy with how I played.'
Fitzpatrick revealed he has bounced back from the 'lowest' point of his career to shoot his best opening round at a Major.
The Yorkshireman spent close to two years in the world's top ten after his 2022 US Open triumph.
But he slumped to No.85 earlier this year and sacked his veteran caddie Billy Foster after hitting rock-bottom and missing the cut at The Players.
Fitzpatrick, 30, has started to rediscover his old form after working with new coach Mark Blackburn since April. The Sheffield star shot a superb 67 in the wind and rain – helped by an outrageous chip-in birdie at Calamity Corner. 'Sometimes you need that bit of luck, but I just felt like I did everything well,' Fitzpatrick said.
'I've been playing well recently. I was in a low place this year and even last year. The Players this year was the low point. It was really bad, and even Valero, a couple of weeks later, I couldn't find the face with the ball. It was just not good. That's the lowest I've been in my career.
'Statistically, it could be my worst run as well. I just didn't feel good or know where it was going.
'The turning point was at RBC when I saw Mark for the first time. I have changed my technique with my irons. I am proud of the results. I feel I have ground my way out of where I was.'
Last year's Amateur champion Jacob Skov Olesen also shot a 67 in his first Major since turning pro at the end of last year.
Hoylake's Matthew Jordan is a shot back after shooting a 68 – his best Major score – as he seeks a third-consecutive top-ten finish at the Open. The world No.152 said: 'I know I made a couple mistakes, but that was probably the best I've played.'
Masters runner-up Justin Rose was one of only two players, along with Li Haotong, to keep a bogey off his card.
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Irish Independent
17 hours ago
- Irish Independent
‘I'm thrilled, euphoric, that I've gotten it done' – Padraig Harrington makes history with Senior Open win at Sunningdale
As Kilfenora schoolteacher Keane (25) became the first Lahinch man to win the Pierse Motor Group South of Ireland title for 57 years in west Clare, Harrington (53) joined Gary Player, Bob Charles, Tom Watson and Darren Clarke in an exclusive club at Sunningdale's Old Course. Thirty years after he lost his second successive South of Ireland final at Lahinch, Harrington closed with a three-under 67 to win by three shots from Justin Leonard and Thomas Bjorn on 16 under par. 'Right now I'm just thrilled to have won the tournament and gone out there and played well,' said two-time Open champion Harrington, who claimed his third senior major and became just the third man after Player and Bernhard Langer to win the Senior Open and the US Senior Open in the same season. Conscious that his days of winning might be running short, he added: 'I think that will seep in. I know you were talking about how I won The Open, to win the Senior Open, there's only five players, so you want to be in that category. 'I think they are the sort of things that you realise over the next couple of days, the significance of it. I'm thrilled, euphoric, that I've gotten it done. 'There are some great names on the trophy. I was watching it coming out last night. I was looking up inside at the board that has all the winners. It's a deep sense of satisfaction. I'm kind of on a high of winning, but then there will be that deep sense of satisfaction knowing that you've done both. 'And especially you come to this stage, there's only a certain window. You know, you can win later on as a senior but the window, they say, sort of up to about 55, 56, so you want to get it done. 'And having had a couple of second places, I didn't want to leave it too long. It would start becoming a problem if you don't win it too soon, and I'm glad I got mine.' More than 500 miles away in Co Clare, Keane claimed an emotional win at Lahinch, making a five-footer for birdie on the 18th green ringed by hundreds of local supporters to beat Dundalk's Caolan Rafferty one up and become the first local Lahinch member since watching his boyhood coach JD Smyth in 1968 to capture the coveted 'South'. "I don't know what to say," Keane reflected after a day when he beat Edmondstown's Liam Abom 2&1 in the semi-finals and 2018 champion Rafferty played the first five holes in five-under en route to a 5&3 win over Grange's Jake Whelan. "Absolutely delighted. This has been my dream since ever I joined this golf club, and for it to come true, it's absolutely unbelievable. Just thrilled. Thrilled.' Two up at the turn, Keane was just one up after 11 holes but after winning the 12th to go two up again, he lost the 15th and 16th. Pegged back to all square, there was a chance the dream could evaporate but after making a nerveless eight-footer for par at the 17th to remain all flat, he drilled a 240 yard five-iron to 50 feet at the 18th and two putted for birdie and victory as Rafferty failed to get up and down from short of the green. He dropped his putter and put his hands over his eyes in disbelief as his father, Johnny, and mother, Mary, ran onto the 18th green to envelop him in an emotional embrace. Chaired from the green by his supporters, he recalled afterwards how he was out of the game for nearly three years with a back injury. But thanks to medical attention from two Lahinch Golf Club members, doctors Gerry O'Sullivan and Conor O'Brien, and seven months of strength and conditioning work with former champion Robbie Cannon, he came back stronger than ever in 2023 before going on to achieve his dream. "I have to give credit to those three men there for helping me come back from that injury," he said as mentor Smyth gave him some final words of advice before he headed out to make the sweetest of victory speeches. It was also a special day for England's Lottie Woad, who closed with a four-under 68 to win the ISPS HANDA Scottish Women's Open and her first LPGA Tour title on her professional debut. 'Yeah, I think it's quite hard to do that, but very special to win in my first event,' said Woad, who romped to a six-shot win in the KPMG Women's Irish Open as an amateur last month. She won by three shots on 21 under from Korea's Hyo Joo Kim while Leona Maguire shot 71 to tie for 16th in six under heading into this week's AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Harrington 18-holes away from joining elite group as he leads Senior Open
Padraig Harrington holds a two-shot lead ahead of the final round of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open at Sunningdale. The three-time major winner carded a second successive 65 to leave him at the top of the leaderboard on 13-under par, two strokes clear of American Justin Leonard. Harrington has been battling with his game all week and revealed on Friday that he had to overcome a string of bizarre distractions while riding his luck in the second round. He still managed to card a bogey-free 65 on Friday and followed that up with the same number today with just one blemish on his scorecard for the day. 'I still wasn't comfortable,' said Harrington, who has scrambled well all week. 'I thought I was getting better, but I don't think I rode my luck as much today. I wasn't out of position, but I certainly didn't play much better than yesterday. Maybe a little bit more cautious today.' Despite not feeling comfortable with his swing, Harrington is trying to focus solely on his scoring. "I don't feel very good about how I'm hitting the ball, so trying to get away from that and not worry so much about that because clearly I'm scoring well,' he said. 'You're better off shooting 13-under par and not feeling so good about it than thinking you're swinging it great and being level par. 'So I just need to go out and play and try golf tomorrow. Hit the right shot at the right time and not necessarily try and play swing.' Should Harrington win tomorrow, he will join an elite group by becoming just the fifth player ever to win the Open and Senior Open after Gary Player, Bob Charles,Tom Watson and Darren Clarke 'I'm not going to think about that,' he said. 'Those are the sort of things that are getting ahead of yourself, and I'll wait till tomorrow to try and digest that.'
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
‘If I make some birdies tomorrow, that would be the goal' — Pádraig Harrington two clear as he chases history in Senior Open
The Dubliner (53) insisted he is not comfortable with his game, but after making six birdies and just one bogey to lead by two shots on 13 under from Justin Leonard, he's not complaining. 'I still wasn't comfortable,' said Harrington, who admitted he had his share of luck in the second round. 'I thought I was getting better, but I don't think I rode my luck as much today. I wasn't out of position, but I certainly didn't play much better than yesterday. Maybe a little bit more cautious today.' The two-time Open champion birdied the fourth, ninth and 11th to get to 11-under and while he made his first bogey in 29 holes at the 12th, he recovered with birdies at the 13th, 14th and 18th. 'It's always nice to come back with a bounce back and a birdie,' he said. 'Believe it or not, I'd prefer to make a bogey and a birdie than two pars. 'I think when you can get caught in that sort of, I-haven't-made-a-bogey-for-a-while type thing, that can get in your head. So getting rid of that is not a bad thing. 'I'm happy enough if I make some birdies tomorrow; that would be the goal, and that's to try and keep making the birdies. 'There will be a few mistakes, but hopefully I'll make enough birdies to counteract that.' Thomas Bjorn lies just three strokes behind Harrington after 67, while Americans Clark Dennis and Kevin Sutherland, Australian Greg Chalmers and New Zealander Steven Alker are a further shot behind. Harrington has twice finished second in the Senior Open, but his biggest worry is not getting that monkey off his back but going out and playing freely. ADVERTISEMENT 'I don't feel very good about how I'm hitting the ball, so trying to get away from that and not worry so much about that because clearly I'm scoring well,' he said. 'You're better off shooting 13-under par and not feeling so good about it than thinking you're swinging it great and being level par. 'So I just need to go out and play and try golf tomorrow. Hit the right shot at the right time and not necessarily try and play swing.' As for becoming the fifth player after Gary Player, Bob Charles,Tom Watson and Darren Clarke – 43rd on level par after a 71 – to win both The Open and the Senior Open, he would not be drawn. 'I'm not going to think about that,' he said. 'Those are the sort of things that are getting ahead of yourself, and I'll wait till tomorrow to try and digest that.' Meanwhile, England's Lottie Woad carded a five under 67 to take a two-stroke lead as she bids to win the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open on her professional debut at Dundonald Links. She leads on 17 under from Korea's Sei Young Kim and Denmark's Nanna Koerstz Madsen. 'Just going to try to shoot as low as possible and keep giving myself chances,' said Woad, who won the KPMG Women's Irish Open by six shots as an amateur earlier this month. 'If someone shoots the lights out, fair enough.' Leona Maguire shot a one-over 73 and goes into the final day tied for 18th on five under.
