Newtown Square, Pa. – As Friday’s second round at the PGA Championship drew to a close and Aronimink Golf Club bathed in late evening light, Padraig Harrington found himself in a particularly interesting place.
The 54-year-old Irishman had rallied after a disappointing first-round four-over 74. A couple of second-round birdies had taken him from the cut line to the brink of contention. When I found him with a few holes left, he was one over, suddenly only five shots off the lead. Harrington had a front row seat in that regard, too: it was held by his playing partner Maverick McNealy.
In person, the Harrington is a particularly satisfying watch because you can see the effort. In his sweeping practice swing, in his clenched teeth, in his downcast gaze. He walks with purpose; although he favors one leg, there is a bounce in his step.
Harrington engages with the crowd. He is aware of them and is grateful for them. He nods, punches a few, occasionally returns a joke or two. And then he shuts down as he approaches his next shot. He has always been clear on one point: he is here to try and win.
But Harrington stumbled on his way home. He birdied the par-4 6th, his 15th hole of the day, and settled for bogey. He then missed a four-footer on No. 9 to finish with a deflating bogey. Now he was three level, seven back. He still playfully addressed a small group of reporters after the round – me and a handful of Irish reporters – but when he talked about playing his way into the fray, he used the past tense.
The window was closed.
THEN came Saturday. Every morning at any level comes with a free helping of hope, and Harrington used his 8:57 a.m. Birdie on 1. Birdie on 6. Birdie on 7. And even compared to the rest of the way. He finished with three bogeys at 18 to sign for 67 and a return to par for the tournament. He took his hat off to the Philadelphia crowd that cheered his final hole. They ate it.
What was going on around Harrington provided relevant context. After two days of stacked results that left a traffic jam leaderboard, Saturday morning’s green light conditions allowed some pros to make massive moves. Joaquin Niemann and Martin Kaymer each shot 66, jumping from T54 to the edge of the top 10. Justin Rose, Chris Kirk and Kristoffer Reitan shot 65; they jumped nearly 50 points. Rory McIlroy started the day T30; at one point he played in part of the lead.
Which meant that as his Saturday ended, Harrington was already dreaming of a wild Sunday.
“We’ll have to wait and see what the leaderboard is at the end of the day,” he said, minutes later, to the same group of Irish journalists. Then he smiled.
“I think it’s a golf course that, assuming they go with some hard pins tomorrow — not as hard as (Friday) but hard pins — it’s going to be tough for the drivers. Someone with momentum who putts a few putts can still hit four or five under par and the drivers can hit a wall. That’s certainly the type.”
If the subtext wasn’t clear, Harrington made it so: Of course, a few dozen players are at a fraction of the advantage. But he is a dreamer. He hopes that “someone” is himself.
“I’m still hopeful that I’ll only be half a dozen back going into tomorrow and have a big day,” he said. “That’s what I’m looking forward to. I’m not going to go out there to play for second, third, fourth, fifth, nothing. I’m not going to remember it. So hopefully I go out there and hit the zone tomorrow and it just keeps flowing.”
I asked him to clarify that point – would he really don’t you remember a top-five? Like his valiant charge at the 2021 PGA Championship, for example, when he finished T4, four shots behind Phil Mickelson?
“I would say, yes, but only because it got me into the Masters,” he said. (The Masters gives exemptions to anyone who finishes fourth or better in a major the previous year.) “But I’m in a good position where I don’t count second, third, fourth, fifth.”
We don’t even need to count them, but just for record keeping: The 2021 PGA was Harrington’s most recent top-20 finish in a major. It also qualified him for the 2022 Masters; this was his most recent trip to Augusta. He won the Open in 2007 and again in 2008. He won the PGA Championship in 2008, too. He returns to both events each year, hoping for another.
Harrington edited the last statement.
“Okay, I’m counting my seconds. I think I’m 41 seconds into my career,” he said. “But I don’t count top 10s, anything like that. That puts me in a good place.”
Again, he reviewed it.
“But you know what? Of course getting cut isn’t a bad thing at my age. And of course I can go out there and play well and look like I’m competitive with these young guys; that’s not a bad thing either. I try and wait more, but I certainly appreciate that I still go out there, play with these young guys, good young players, and I can hold my own.
“I don’t feel like I’m out there getting in the way.”
Saturday was the first time Harrington had played Kristoffer Reitan, last week’s PGA Tour winner. Reitan subscribes to Harrington’s YouTube channel, he said with some glee — and mentioned a specific lesson that had helped him.
“Stand tight,” he said. “A wide stance is more likely to swing, a narrow stance is more likely to turn.
“Most professionals have seen at least a little bit,” he added. He likes this idea.
By noon, Harrington still had his wish: He was T31, just five shots off the lead. Someone will make a charge on Sunday. Why not him?
Forget the idea of getting in the way.
Harrington still hopes he is the main event.
Dylan Dethier welcomes your comments at dylan_dethier@golf.com.
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