Pádraig Harrington needs a big weekend if he is to pick up his maiden Senior PGA Championship title after a closing double bogey saw him fall six shots behind the leaders at The Concession Golf Club.
It had been a slow day for Harrington who was one-over-par through fourteen holes after bogeys on 6 and 13 and just one birdie on the 9th. However, it looked like he had kept his hopes of a third senior major very much alive when he made three birdies in a row on 15, 16 and 17.
But he was dealt a sucker punch with a double bogey on the 18th which dropped him back to four-under and he was forced to sign for a level-par round of 72 which leaves him in a share of 12th place looking up at Brian Gay and Scott Hend who hold two shot leads on ten-under.
Gay put on a superb finish of eagle, birdie for a round of 68 to share the lead with Hend who birdied five of his last eight holes for a 65.
Major champions Stewart Cink (67) and Retief Goosen (69), with Ben Crane making his senior debut with a 69 are lingering on eight-under-par.
“Another pretty good day. A little volatile,” Gay said. “Pretty similar to yesterday, except I butchered a couple of par 5s. Two of them with one bad tee ball, two good tee balls, but other than that, I putted well again. Just a couple of balls in the bushes.”
Australian veteran Hend was pleased with his eight birdies and just the one bogey on Friday after a rollercoaster opening round saw him post an eagle and two doubles.
“I was disappointed in yesterday’s two double bogeys on the back nine, so I wanted to play that nine a bit smarter and a bit better today, so I didn’t short-side myself as much as what I did yesterday,” he said. “And it seemed to work out quite well.”
Bernhard Langer, the 68-year-old German who shot his age or lower for the 43rd time in the opening round with a 66, was 10 shots worse on Friday with a 76 as he fell eight behind.
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