The Dubliner, age 51, bounced back from an early bogey at the third hole with impressive birdies at the fifth, eighth, and 10th holes. Unfortunately, his concentration wavered, resulting in a bogey at the 11th hole and a double bogey at the 12th, where he hit his tee shot into a pond. Despite birdieing the par-five 14th hole, he missed opportunities to score on his way back and had to sink a challenging 10-foot putt to finish the day with a score of three over par, the same as when he started. This puts him tied for 12th place with Darren Clarke, who shot a 70. They are both six shots behind the 65-year-old Bernhard Langer, who shot a three-under 68 to take the lead by one shot over Rod Pampling from Australia, who is at three-under. Langer’s remarkable performance makes him a contender to become the oldest winner of the title. However, Harrington hopes that the organizers will extend the course to its maximum length over the weekend.
Harrington describes the course as becoming short and tricky, with the disappearance of the rough, making it bouncy and challenging. While he believes there are still opportunities for a low score, he admits that it has become more difficult due to the fast pace of the greens. On the first day, Harrington struggled after winning his first Champions Tour event of the season in New York the previous weekend. However, he managed to recharge by spending quality time with his family and avoiding the range on Thursday evening. He acknowledges the need to perform at his best to catch up to the leaders and defend his title successfully. Getting the ball in play off the tee is crucial, especially with the shortened course. Harrington believes that it is possible to make up ground on the golf course, as he performed well for most of the day but had a lapse in concentration on holes 11 and 12, which proved costly. Despite missing some putts, he feels that he played better than the previous day, thanks to having a clearer mindset. He dismisses the idea that watching the Indiana Jones movie had any effect on his improved play and attributes it instead to the confidence boost from winning last week’s tournament. He remains optimistic about narrowing the gap with the leaders and appreciates Langer’s impressive performance, considering the favorable course conditions. He expects the back tees to be utilized during the weekend, making the course more challenging. He emphasizes the importance of hitting the fairways since the rough has become less punishing. Retief Goosen, Dicky Pride, and Jerry Kelly are tied for third place at one-under-par, with Steve Stricker and Ernie Els tied for sixth place at even par.
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