In a day full of emotions at the U.S. Senior Open, Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink tied at the top of the leaderboard, securing a place in the final round of the weekend. The pair, who had already shared the field the previous day, faced the challenges of the demanding Broadmoor, a course known for its difficulty. Cink managed to come back from five strokes in the last nine holes, tying Harrington and Mark Hensby, who also stood out in the competition. Cink shone with a 31 on the first nine holes, matching Harrington’s performance on the second half of the course. Both players, known for their ability to surpass 300 yards in the PGA Tour Champions circuit, highlighted the comfort of playing together, especially on a mountainous course where precision is crucial.
Hensby, for his part, completed his second consecutive round with a 67, accumulating 15 birdies in the tournament.“He’s definitely a guy I’d choose to play with,” Harrington commented.
Padraig Harrington
Thomas Bjorn, Y.E. Yang and Billy Andrade also stayed in the fight, positioning themselves just a few strokes from the top. Darren Clarke, Steve Flesch and Miguel Angel Jiménez, completed the list of prominent players who advanced to the weekend. Cink demonstrated his consistency by reaching all greens in regulation, while Harrington, despite some setbacks, achieved a crucial birdie on the 9th hole to tie.“Making a lot of birdies is a good thing here,” Hensby said.
Mark Hensby
Among those who failed to make the cut were Bernhard Langer and Ángel Cabrera. David Toms, champion at the Broadmoor in 2018, managed to advance to the weekend. Harrington and Cink, with a history of clashes in the Ryder Cup, are preparing for a weekend full of expectations. “I love watching him play. I hope he feels similarly about me,” Cink said.“I was inspired by Stewart. I don’t think he would have had as much effect, so that was good,” Harrington said.
Padraig Harrington
