PGA Irish Championship;Never mind the oranges at halftime, Irish PGA officials were called into action midway through the third round of the Ladbrokes.com PGA Irish Championship today when they had to find a replacement to play with Pádraig Harrington after Leslie Walker was forced to retire.
Overnight leader and defending champion Harrington, and his nearest challenger Walker, set off in the final group at The European Club just before midday. However, Harrington finished the round with Banbridge amateur Conor Doran after Walker suffered a recurring wrist injury.
The Dundalk pro was playing out of a bunker at the par four third when he aggravated an old wrist injury. The 40-year-old tried to play through the pain but eventually had to call it a day after 10 holes.
PGA officials then recruited irish international Doran, who had come down to support his friend Richard Kilpatrick, to play alongside Harrington as a marker for the remainder of the round.
It was a big disappointment for Walker, who led after the first day following his opening four-under 67, before he kept close tabs on Harrington for the next day-and-a-half.
In difficult wet conditions at Brittas Bay, Harrington maintained his advantage at the top of the leaderboard despite not recording a single birdie.
Today’s third round contained two bogeys - sixth and the 12th - and the rest pars as his two-over 73 left the world number 12 the only man below par with a two-under 211 aggregate going into the final round.
With the rough so penalising at the Wicklow venue today’s golf quickly became an exercise in damage limitation.
Simon Thornton was one of the few players to cope with the conditions as the Royal County Down pro matched Harrington’s 73. The 31-year-old birdied the opening hole but gave shots back at the fourth and sixth and 14th.
At two-over, four shots off the lead in second, the two-time PGA order of merit winner who competes mainly on the Chllenge Tour this season, will get the chance to go head-to-head with Harrington in tomorrow’s final round.
Naas professional Gavin Lunny (74) and Banbridge's Kilpatrick (77) share third on six-over.
David Higgins, who must surely have one eye on next week’s British Open at Turnberry, fell further off the pace after today’s 80 dropped the Waterville pro to 19-over.
Tomorrow's final round has been brought froward in the hope of completing the tournament before the forecast of poor weather comes in.
Final Round Tee Times
1st Tee
8.00 – Dignam, Fitzpatrick
8.09 – Cullen, Gleeson
8.18 – Allan, Kerr
8.27 – Bolger, Mooney
8.36 – O'Callaghan, McNamara
8.45 – Rice, O'Rourke
8.54 – Collins, Staunton
9.03 – O'Sullivan, McGovern
9.12 – McMonagle, Robinson
9.21 – McElhinney, Kelly
9.30 – Kilpatrick, Lunny
9.39 – Thornton, Harrington
10th Tee
8.00 – Bowler, Mulryan
8.09 – F Howley, N Howley
8.18 – Brady, Giles
8.27 – McTernan, McGrath
8.36 – Young, D McNamara
8.45 – Ryan, Carroll
8.54 – D Higgins, T Higgins
9.03 – Tracey, Trainor
9.12 – Mallon, Mortimer
9.21 – Dwyer, Scullion
9.30 – Mulally, McDermott
Third Round Scores (Par 213):
211 – P Harrington (Unattached) 68,70,73.
215 – S Thornton (Unattached) 75,67,73;
217 – G Lunny (Naas) 70,73,74; R Kilpatrick (Banbridge) 70,70,77;
218 – B McElhinney (Team Ireland) 70,76,72; J Kelly (St Margaret's) 75,71,72; G Robinson (St Helen's Bay) 70,74,74;
219 – S McMonagle (Unattached) 69,75,75;
220 – B McGovern (Headfort) 72,71,77;
222 – D O'Sullivan (Club La Playa) 75,76,71; M Staunton (www.foreireland.com) 76,73,73;
224 – M Collins (www.foreireland.com) 733,78,73; P O'Rourke (Green 18) 71,76,77; T Rice (Unattached) 70,76,78;
225 – C McNamara (Unattached) 75,78,72;
226 – W O'Callaghan (www.wayneocallaghangolf.com) 76,72,78; D Mooney (Unattached) 70,77,79;
227 – J Bolger (Kilkenny) 76,74,77; I Kerr (Bunclody) 75,74,78;
228 – M Allan (Pure Golf) 80,75,73; D Gleeson (McGuirk's Golf) 77,74,77;
229 – G Cullen (Beaverstown) 78,76,75; S Fitzpatrick (Enniscorthy) 80,73,76; J Dignam (Slade Valley) 77,76,77;
230 – T Mulally (Moyvalley) 74,76,80;
231 – J Scullion (Royal Co Down) 76,79,76; J Dwyer (Ashbourne) 77,77,77; D Mortimer (www.foreireland.com) 74,80,77; C Mallon (Narin & Portnoo) 76,75,80;
232 – B Trainor (Unattached) 74,81,77; P Walton (Unattached) 79,75,78; E Tracey (Ballina) 73,79,80; D Higgins (Waterville) 76,76,80; T Higgins (www.foreireland.com) 75,76,81;
233 – C Carroll (Bray) 80,75,78; D Ryan (Cahir Pk) 77,78,78; D McNamara (Portmarnock) 78,73,82; 235 – S Young (Foyle) 75,80,80; K McGrath (Birr Golf Shop & DR) 79,76,80; M McTernan (Co Sligo) 76,75,84; R Giles (Greenore) 76,74,85;
236 – E Brady (Clontarf) 7,75,84;
237 – F Howley (Carton House) 80,75,82;
238 – N Howley (Balbriggan) 76,79,83;
239 – M Mulryan (Athenry) 76,78,85; L Bowler (Wexford) 76,76,87;
245 – M Sludds (Unattached) 81,73,91;
Rtd – D McWilliams (Unattached) 74,81,(inj); P Martin (Riverside Academy) 71,79, (inj); L Walker (Dundalk) 67,72, (inj).
