Padraig shoots a final round of one over par 72 at the US Seniors Open. He recorded three birdies but, yet again, made too many mistakes to challenge the winner, Bernhard Langer. The event probably fell at the wrong time for Padraig as he had just defended a title last week, and back to back wins on Tour is a rare feat! Onwards and upwards!
Padraig records a third round of two over par 73 on a day where he made just four pars on each nine. He got off to the perfect start with an opening birdie but gave that back straight away with dropped shots on two and three. Then disaster struck as he made a double bogey on the par five 5th hole where he incurred two penalty shots. A final bogey on the 9th had him out in 39 shots. He rallied well on the back nine with birdies on the 10th, 13th, 14th and 16th, but yet again a double bogey on the par four 16th, where he found rough off the tee, put paid to any chance of a comeback. He lies in tied 17th place at five over par with three under leading!
Padraig shoots a second round of level par but still trails the leader by six shots heading into the weekend at the US Seniors Open. He got off to a slow start with a dropped shot on the par four 4th hole but made three birdies in his next six holes to get himself back in contention. But a terrible run of three dropped shots in the next two holes including a double bogey on the par three 12th hole where he had a penalty off the tee sent him back into the pack. He did manage one more birdie on the par five 14th hole but will need something in the mid 60’s to catch up on Saturday!
Padraig starts his title defence this week at the US Seniors Open with a three over par round of 74 which is still in the top thirty on a brutally hard layout. On a day where three under par leads, the field struggled with penal rough and a course set up worthy of a US Open. Starting on the back nine, he got off to a topsy turvy start with a mixture of birdies and bogeys to be out in one over par and was well positioned with four holes to go. But a pulled drive into water on the par five 5th hole, followed by a double bogey on the next hole left him reeling but he salvaged a birdie coming home to sign for the 74. It was the most he could have got out of a slow day mentally on the course but is still there to make a run with three days to go!
Padraig plays this week at the US Senior Open Championship and will be attempting to defend titles in back to back weeks after his heroics last week in New York. He won this title, his first Senior Major, last year by a shot from Steve Stricker!
Tee Times – Padraig tees off at 9.04pm with D. Clarke and R. Strawn!