Harrington storms into share of Czech Masters lead
PRAGUE: Three- time major champion Padraig Harrington rol led back the years with a majestic third- round 65 on Saturday to claim a share of the lead ahead of the final day of the Czech Masters.
The 46-year- old Irishman, who has only won one European Tour title since lifting the 2008 PGA Championship trophy, carded seven birdies in a bogey- free day to sit atop the leaderboard a longside It a l ian And rea Pavan on 17- under par for the tournament.
“In my mind I was trying to rationalise that I’ve got to get 20-under par for the tournament and obviously I got quite a long way down that road, we’re three ahead of the pack so hopefully we move ahead and get out there and have good front nines and have it as a duel between the two of us,” Harrington told europeantour. com.
Belgian Thomas Pieters, who is looking to press his claims for a Ryder Cup place, struggled to a 71 to slip six shots off the pace, alongside Eddie Pepperell — the only player in the field who can push himself into the European team’s automatic qualification spots with a win this week.
Overnight leader Gavin Green is now alone in third place, three shots back, after the Malaysian settled for a two-under 70.
Harrington, who also won back-to-back British Open titles from 2007- 2008, has dropped to 346 in the world rankings and is only 204th in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai this year.
But he has only made one bogey all week, and wi l l head into Sunday’s final round looking for a 16th European Tour victory. However, Harrington is wary that his exceptional round may have come one day too early.
“It took a lot out of me, a lot of focus and I holed the putts that you’d like to be holing on a Sunday,” he said.
“I’m hoping there’s still another round in it but it was certainly one of those days that you’d like to get on a Sunday afternoon rather than a Saturday afternoon.”
World number 253 Pavan also carded a 65 with seven birdies, as he looks for his first European Tour win.
“I ’ m def i n it ely looking forward to playing with Padraig tomorrow,” the 29-year- old said. “It’s the first time I’m in this position on the European Tour so it will be good, probably a long day but I’ll just try to keep doing my own thing and not watch him too much.”