A strong back nine helped Pádraig Harrington to get within two of David Toms at the Galleri Classic on the PGA Tour Champions.
Harrington carded a five-under 67 to share third place with a host of players including Vijay Singh while former US PGA Champion David Toms leads on seven-under-par.
They say all good rounds start with a bogey and that proved the case for the three-time major winner who birdied the 2nd and 3rd to make the turn in 35.
A superb eagle on the par-5 11th kickstarted the Dubliner’s round and he followed up with birdies on 15 and 17 to come home in 32 and breeze into contention.
Darren Clarke is on three-over after an opening 75.
Toms birdied three of his last four holes to pull one clear of Kevin Sutherland as he matched his low round of the season.
This is the American’s eighth time leading or co-leading after the opening round on the senior circuit and he is yet to convert that into a win.
The Cologuard Classic winner is looking to become the first multiple winner of the 2023 season.
“Anytime you shoot a low round the putter works pretty solid. Front nine, I had a lot of good looks, hit a lot of good putts. Jerry was making them and I wasn’t.
“All of a sudden I turned the back nine and had a lot of good looks and I made some nice putts. Obviously I didn’t play 18 that great or the way I wanted to, the layup wasn’t that good. I was going for the angle and I got over there in the rough and I couldn’t get it very close, but to make a putt like that on 18 to front nine.
“And the par on 17 was big, too. Didn’t get set on my tee shot, first real bad iron shot of the day and I got it up and down from a tough spot to keep the round going, and then to finish it off on 18 was pretty nice.”
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