Pádraig Harrington is hoping his Mexican adventure can be the first of four successive starts on the PGA Tour as he looks to build confidence in his quest to become the oldest winner on tour since Sam Snead in 1965.
Harrington was just seven shots off the lead at the halfway stage of the Mexico Open at Vidanta, but his slim hopes of bustling his way into contention faded with a one-over 72 on Saturday.
Harrington will head to Palm Beach for the Cognizant Classic next week, formerly The Honda Classic which he won twice in 2005 and 2015 as he looks to become only the fifth player to win on the PGA Tour over the age of 50.
The last player to achieve such a feat was Phil Mickelson who won the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island aged 50.
“I think a big goal of mine would be trying to win a regular tournament,” Harrington, now 52, said last week.
“It’s just that I am at that age that a win on the regular tour would be something special. I think I’m playing four PGA Tour events coming up. I’m swinging the club better than I’ve ever swung the club and I’ve started to putt well.
“Mentally, it can be a little bit harder. And these kids are really good now, so the standard is hard. But I’m quite bullish that if I can get myself into the right place on Sunday afternoon, I could take my chance.
“But I think as all the old guys do, we find it hard. We’re under a lot of pressure. If I turn up at a PGA Tour event, I really feel I need my A-plus game. And it’s tough when you feel like that.
“You play much better golf when you’re within yourself. Tiger was famous for it. He said he could win with his B game and when you think he can win with your B game, your A game turns up.
“So yeah, that will be probably the biggest goal — to win on the regular tour. But really out here, the goal is to try and win tournaments and hopefully win some of the senior majors.”
At the time of writing, Harrington shares 55th place on three-under-par, thirteen shots behind Jake Knapp.
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