Harrington rides his luck

Padraig Harrington may have used up his entire quota of lucky Irishness in one round, but the last Open champion at Royal Birkdale seems to be warming up well ahead of his return there next week, writes Steve Scott.

The twice-winner of the Claret Jug opened the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open with a 67, his best performance since neck surgery earlier this year and the bizarre injury he suffered at a demonstration when he was hit on the elbow by an amateur he was teaching.

If that was unfortunate, he got most of it back on the final stretch at Dundonald when he admitted he “kind of panicked”.

He holed a huge putt from off the front of the 16th for a par save when it looked for all the world he’d take a triple, and then air-mailed the 17th green but chipped in with the return.

“On 16 we were really struggling off the tee shot, couldn’t find my ball. It was kind of a desperation state until someone found it. And the provisional was in the bunker, so seven would have been a good return,” he said.

“All of a sudden it turns into a four. I guess when things are going your way, they go your way. I’m just glad that I was doing well enough that it has really counted.”

Five-under is the perfect start, because he doesn’t expect this to be a 20-under course like last week at Portstewart. “Anything under par is good,” he said.