Just like his ice cream in a recent sit down interview, Pádraig Harrington’s round melted away on the back nine at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.
Harrington was going very well after his front nine but, rather than adding further birdies to try and chase down current runaway leader Brandon Robinson Thompson, he went in the wrong direction and is now ten shots off the pace.
In the end, it was a disappointing one-under 72 for the 53-year-old who lies alongside fellow Irishman Conor Purcell who birdied his final hole to finish in red figures.
Harrington turned in four-under 32 after birdies on the first, third, fifth, eighth after a near hole out eagle and the ninth with just one dropped shot coming on the par-3 2nd.
The Dubliner’s hopes of becoming the oldest winner on the DP World Tour took a huge blow as he made his way towards the clubhouse with a string of bogeys coming on the 12th, 14th and 15th as he fell back into a share of 50th place.
Robinson Thompson leads on eleven-under-par after a course record 61 where he threatened to shoot just the second ever round of 59 on the DP World Tour.
Since the formation of the DP World Tour in 1972, only Oliver Fisher has carded a 59 but fellow Englishman Robinson Thompson had that in his sights when he recorded eight birdies and two eagles through his opening 17 holes.
However, the HotelPlanner Tour graduate finished with his only bogey of the day after going long with his approach from a fairway bunker to end the opening day at 11 under – with countryman Callum Tarren his nearest pursuer.
Competing in his rookie season on the DP World Tour, Robinson Thompson’s total was three shots better than the previous low of 64 posted by France’s Tom Vaillant in last year’s inaugural edition at Royal Golf Club.
“I didn’t really picture it this morning when it was raining and there were forecasts of super strong winds,” he said.
“Very happy to get off to the start I did. Little bit of a sour taste in my mouth I am not going to lie, but I holed my fair share.”
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