PGA Irish Championship Update: Pádraig Harrington traded places with Leslie Walker to assume the overnight lead midway through the Ladbrokes.com PGA Irish Championship after the defending champion carded a one-under par 70 compared to Walker's 72.
Just three players finished the day under par at The European Club with Harrington leading the way on four-under 138. Walker's 72 left the Dundalk pro one shot further back, while Richard Kilpatrick also reached the sanctuary of the clubhouse after the Banbridge pro carded a second successive 70 to be two-under
Harrington picked up an early birdie at the par five third for the second day running but gave shots back with bogeys at the fourth and sixth to turn in one-over 36. From there the 37-year-old rallied with birdies at the 10th and 13th, which was good enough to assume the outright lead.
Walker's round was a much livelier affair as he mixed no less than two double-bogeys, three bogeys and five birdies for a card that only had room for seven pars. It was far from the steady bogey-free round he shot in yesterday's opening 67, but he is still very much in the hunt.
Royal County Down's Simon Thornton, who is competing mainly on the European Challenge Tour this season, made the biggest move of the day with his 67 to get back to level par.
Starting at the 10th the 31-year-old book-ended the nine with bogeys but managed a run of three consecutive birdies in between from the 12th. Further birdies came at the first and sixth and the former Irish PGA order of merit winner is now primed to make a challenge of his own over the weekend.
Brendan McGovern, who gave Harrington a run for his money in 2007 before the latter went on to win his first major at Carnoustie, also made progress up the leaderboard. The Headfort pro’s 71 left him tied fifth on one-over alongside Naas’ Gavin Lunny (73).
It appears David Higgins suffered the hangover from qualifying for next week's British Open after the Waterville pro slumped to 10-over 152 aggregate after a second 76 in as many days. Higgins had rushed from the R&A's local final qualifying in Ayrshire earlier in the week to make it back to Wicklow in time to tee it up in this week's championship.
Philip Walton is another who had a disappointing time after today's 75 left the 1995 Ryder Cup hero on 12-over 154 but still inside the cut mark which fell at 155.
Ladbrokes.com PGA Irish Championship138 – P Harrington (Unattached) 68,70;
139 – L Walker (Dundalk) 67,72;
140 – R Kilpatrick (Banbridge) 70,70;
142 – S Thornton (Unattached) 75,67;
143 – B McGovern (Headfort) 72,71;
144 – G Lunny (Naas) 70,73; G Robinson (St Helen's Bay) 70,74; S McMonaghle (Unattached) 69,75;
146 – B McElhinney (Team Ireland) 70,76; J Kelly (St Margaret's) 75,71; T Rice (Unattached) 70,76;
147 – D Mooney (Unattached) 70,77; P O'Rourke (Green 18) 71,76;
148 – W O'Callaghan (www.wayneocallaghangolf.com) 76,72;
149 – I Kerr (Bunclody) 75,74; M Staunton (www.foreireland.com) 76,73;
150 – P Martin (Riverside Academy) 71,79; J Bolger (Kilkenny) 76,74; T Mulally (Moyvalley) 74,76; R Giles (Greenore) 76,74;
151 – M Collins (www.forereland.com) 73,78; D O'Sullivan Club La Playa) 75,76; M McTernan (Co Sligo) 76,75; T Higgins (www.foreireland.com0 75,76; C Mallon (Narin & Portnoo) 76,75; D Gleeson (McGuirk's Golf) 77,74;
152 – D Higgins (Waterville) 76,76; E Brady (Clontarf) 77,75; E Tracey (Ballina) 73,79; L Bowler (Wexford) 78,74.
153 – J Dignam (Slade Valley) 77,76; C McNamara (Unattached) 75,78; S Fitzpatrick (Enniscorthy) 80,73;
154 – D Mortimer (www.foreireland.com) 74,80; J Dwyer (Ashbourne) 77,77;
P Walton (Unattached) 79,75; M Sludds (Unattached) 81,73; G Cullen (Beaverstown) 78,76; M Mulryan (Athenry) 76,78;
155 – K McGrath (Birr Golf Shop & DR) 79,76; D Ryan (Cahir Pk) 77,78; B Trainor (Unattached) 74,81; D McWilliams (Unattached) 74,81; F Howley (Carton House) 80,75; J Scullion (Royal Co Down) 76,79; S Young (Foyle) 75,80; N Howley (Balbriggan) 76,89; J McDermott (Dun Laoghaire) 75,80; C Carroll (Bray) 80,75; M Allan (Pure Golf) 80,75;
Second Round Scores and totals (Par 71 / 142):
Qualifiers:
Non-Qualifiers:
156 – Marian Riordan (Greystones) 80,76; P Jones (Coollattin) 78,78; Gary Howie (Adare Manor) 75,81; L Harrington (Limerick) 82,74; J Langan (Leopardstown) 79,77;
157 – S Taylor (The Island) 78,79; J Sugrue (Tralee) 80,77; S Clinton (Portsalon) 81,76; J Geraghty (Unattached) 81,76;
158 – M O'Shea (Callan) 80,78; B McDermott (Castlecomer) 83,75; J Murray (Malahide) 76,82; P O'Hagan (PM Corporate Events) 78,80; P Dooley (Cork) 80,78; O Grogan (Moate) 78,80;
160 – E McLoughlin (Wicklow) 79,81; L Hynes (Ballinstoe) 86,74; G Burke (Curragh) 82,78; R Daly (Newlands) 79,81; R Hutton (Downpatrick) 81,79;
161 – P O'Boyle (Bandon) 77,84; G Wardlow (Dunmurry) 78,83; L Owens (Killiney) 84,77; G Egan (Naas DR) 79,82; K McGivern (Kelly's Golf Centre) 80,81;
162 – M Ward (P&M Golf Superstore) 77,85; I Kearney (Doonbeg) 85,77; R Whitford (Knock) 84,78. 163 – D Walker (Foxrock) 82,81; G Loughrey (Roganstown) 79,84; R Donagher (Ardee) 84,79; P Collins (Ardglass) 88,84;
164 – K Foy (Stepaside) 84,80; J Kane-Nash (Greystones) 89,75; P McCanny (Birr Golf Shop & DR) 80,84;
165 – M O'Mahoney (McGuirk's Golf) 87,78; S Hoey (Waterford Castle) 81,84;
166 – B Kerley (Greelife) 86,80; C McVitty (Bundoran) 83,83; DP Jones (Unattached) 80,86; J Foster (Greenacres) 84,82;
167 – I St John (Nenagh) 83,84; G Massey (PGA National) 85,82;
168 – D Carroll (Seapoint) 83,85;
169 – K O'Neill (Co Sligo) 96,73; G Byrne (PGA National) 92,77;
170 – T McIntyre (Ballyclare) 89,81; S Madden (Limerick) 75,75; B Cosgrove (Athy DR) 89,81;
172 – P Vaughan (Ardglass) 88,84;
180 – P Ring (Elm Green) 97,80;
182 – P McGuirk (Co Louth) 93,89;
NR – G Kavanagh (Delgany) 83,NR; J Heggarty (Claremorris) 74,NR; S O('Grady (Black Bush) 79,NR; RD Kelly (Tipperary) 86,NR; M Heinemann (Skellig Bay) NR,NR; F Dwyer (Celbridge DR) NR,NR; B O'Brien (Castlewarden) NR,NR; J Greenaway (Banbridge) NR,NR; Twitchett (Hilton) 85,NR; D O'Donoghue (Ashbourne) 88,NR; C Jelly (Banbridge) 82,NR; B Hamill (Hamill Academy) 79,NR.
