Padraig Harrington, accustomed to enduring the unpredictable weather of his native Ireland, showcased his seasoned prowess once again at the Hoag Classic on the PGA Tour Champions. With nearly three decades of professional golf under his belt, the Dubliner surged ahead with a commanding 4-under 67 in the second round, securing the solo lead.
Despite confronting challenging conditions early in his round, Harrington’s performance stood out, with only two other players, Y.E. Yang, and Ricardo Gonzalez, managing to card lower scores, the latter firing an impressive 7-under 64.
Reflecting on his round, Harrington praised the course conditions, emphasizing how his length off the tee played to his advantage: “It played great for me. Yeah, it was longer in places, but I was able to use my length quite a bit on a few holes.”
Renowned for his impressive distance off the tee, Harrington consistently leveraged this advantage during the round. Despite facing a minor setback following a promising start with two birdies in the initial three holes, he persevered through the next 12 holes, maintaining his resolve.
He noted, “The first 14 holes were the opposite of yesterday. I seemed to play nicely and not score very well, but then those last four holes made up for it.”
Indeed, Harrington’s late surge propelled him from 8-under to an impressive 12-under, securing a one-shot lead over Thongchai Jaidee. Acknowledging Jaidee’s strong performance, Harrington acknowledged the challenge ahead: “I thought Thongchai played very well today… a one-shot lead over Thongchai is not enough.”
When asked about his strategy for the final round, Harrington emphasized his focus on each shot and his determination to stay ahead of the field: “No, I just play each shot as it comes… If I’m in the lead, I’m always trying to take the field out of play.”
Looking ahead, Harrington envisioned an aggressive approach, aiming for both himself and Jaidee to dominate the front nine: “I’d love the two of us to play the front nine 4 under par, both of us because then it’s between me and him for the last nine holes.”
With a clear mindset and a commitment to maintaining pressure on his competitors, Harrington sets his sights on a strong finish in the upcoming round, poised to contend for victory in the Hoag Classic.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow @_PlayingThrough on Twitter for more golf coverage and connect with Jack Milko @jack_milko.
