Back swimming in the deep waters of the PGA Tour, Padraig Harrington showed that he still has what it takes to contend at this level. He tied for 10th place in the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio after having shared the overnight lead on Thursday.
Harrington combined rounds of 68, 73, 68 and 71 to finish seven strokes off the winning score posted by Corey Connors.
Save for the bogey-free 68 he shot on Saturday, Harrington gave himself work to do by picking up early bogeys each day. But he scrambled his way out of trouble and remained in contention throughout.
“It’s nice to show some form,” Harrington said. “I’m an optimist, pretty enthusiastic person. I get up in the morning and it just, it drives me on. I wake up and the minute I go hit a golf shot, and you’d think I’d have sense at this stage, I’m dreaming that I’m going to find the secret. I know there isn’t one but you’re always hopeful, always dreaming.”
LPGA TOUR
Leona Maguire made the cut in the Los Angeles Open but that’s about the extent of the positives. She qualified for the weekend on the number with rounds of 72, shot that again on Saturday and improved to 71 on Sunday. Eighteen strokes separated her from champion Ruoning Yin. Maguire didn’t have any big stumble; just played very evenly throughout, with only a few birdies and bogeys to color her cards.
Stephanie Meadow shot 78 on Thursday and couldn’t dig out from that hole with Friday’s 71. She missed the cut by five strokes.
CHALLENGE TOUR
Scores of 5-under-par 283 from Conor Purcell and Ruaidhri McGee were the best that any of the Irish in The Challenge presented by KGA could produce. Purcell was in with a shot in Bangalore, India after shooting 68s but weekend rounds of 73 and 74 did some damage. McGee played evenly, hanging up rounds of 72, 70, 71 and 70. They finished joint-46th, 13 strokes off the low number.
Amateur Robert Moran checked in with others at 55th place who matched his 2-under 286. He shot 73, 69, 71 and 73.
The cut fell at 144, which was bad news for Niall Kearney and John Murphy, who shot matching 144s made up of 71 and 73.
