Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Padraig LIVES to fight another day
PADRAIG HARRINGTON banged in a birdie on the last, hit the scorer’s hut and then faced a barrage over the latest LIV golf explosion.
While Harrington was fighting to make it into the weekend at the Irish Open, the latest skirmish in golf’s culture wars was taking place.
But before getting stuck into that, the 50-year-old (inset) took a breath and reflected on the big finish that ensured his presence at Mount Juliet for the weekend.
His chances looked bleak after the seventh hole, his third from last.
Harrington had no shot when his approach flew over the back and up against a tree and he took a drop.
The Dubliner missed a sevenfooter for bogey and that left him on one-over par for his round, two-under for the tournament.
But Harrington rallied, making a 13-foot birdie on the par-five eighth and then rolled in another from close to 20 foot on his last, much to the delight of his large support, to card a 71.
“I was enjoying the crowds and I hope they were enjoying my play,” he said later.
“I’m not too sure how many of them are going to get up that early in the morning but hopefully it will be nice if I’m still here.
“Making the cut, making the mark, at times you would be going ‘Uhh’. But at an Irish Open it’s worth it, coming back and playing. It looks like I’ll be here for the weekend.”
It is hard to get away from the seismic shift happening in golf, however, and Harrington had plenty to say about the latest developments. The 16-strong European branch of the LIV rebels had threatened the DP World Tour formerly the European Tour - with legal action unless sanctions put on them for participating in the first LIV event in London were rescinded.
The sanctions included a ban from next week’s Scottish Open and a fine, with the promise of more to come if they competed in this week’s event in Portland.
CEO Keith Pelley criticised the LIV rebels for claiming that they “care deeply” about the DP World Tour and he highlighted how one player had given a signed commitment to play in the Horizon Irish Open, only to play in Portland instead.
Harrington claims that most DP World Tour players don’t believe that the sanctions imposed haven’t gone far enough.
“Friends of mine have gone to play there. I’m comfortable with them playing there,” said Harrington.
“I’ve no issues with them, they’ve made that decision, there’s great money there - it looks like they’re here to stay.
“Everybody who went, they might have wished something different but they would have expected this.
“From my perspective, from a general perspective, the European players who haven’t gone but could have gone feel the sanctions haven’t gone far enough, 100%.
“But I wouldn’t want them to be ever banned from playing majors.”