Pádraig Harrington’s first regular PGA Tour start since the Valero Texas Open last April has begun in positive fashion as the 53-year-old carded a three-under 69 to sit tied for 31st at Vidanta Vallerta.
But the three-time major winner will be a little disappointed as a string of missed short putts meant the could’ve been challenging the leaders on seven-under.
A fine approach to 10 feet set up a birdie on the par-4 opening hole, but he gave that shot back on the fourth after his first wayward drive lead to a bogey-five. Holes six and seven – a par-5 and drivable par-4 – offer great birdie opportunities and he took care of both with routine ups-and-downs, and made the turn at -2.
But having been rock solid from short range on the opening nine, an inexplicable three-putt from four feet on the par-4 10th hole lead to a double bogey-six and threatened to derail what had been a very neat and tidy round thus far.
But he responded in ideal fashion, sticking an 8-iron to nine feet on the par-3 11th and rolling the putt home, Two pars followed, but he was back on the birdie trail on 14 and having found the putting surface in two on the par-5, an excellent lag to inside a foot set up his fifth birdie of the day and five became six when he sank a 14-footer on the par-4 15th.
But, perhaps with that three-putt on 10 on his mind, he missed another short par putt on the par-3 17th, leaving him on -2 going to the last where he again faced a five-footer – this time for birdie – on the par-5. If he was scarred by the trio of short misses, he didn’t show it, and held his nerve to sink it for a three-under 69, leaving him just four off the lead.
That’s shared by an international trio of England’s Harry Hall, Jeremy Paul of Germany and Kris Ventura of Norway on seven-under, with Argentinian Alejandro Tosti and South African Aldrich Potgieter joined by the American trio of Isaiah Salinda, Brian Campbell and Patrick Fishburn on -6.
The vast majority of the low scores all came in the early wave, however, so Harrington’s three-under, which was completed late in the day, is indicative that the Dubliner is in good form and could prove to be a dark horse if he follows it up with another round in the 60s from the early starters on Friday.
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