After leaving a ball in the rough and losing some confidence on the greens, Padraig Harrington was looking for something to give him hope heading into a final day that promises to be turbulent at the challenging Broadmoor. A chip-in from 20 yards for birdie on the 18th hole did the trick. It gave Harrington a tie for the lead and a place in the final group, leaving him one good round away from winning the U.S. Senior Open for the second time in four years.
Harrington’s chip-in on Saturday put him in a tie with Stewart Cink and Mark Hensby, the same position he started the day in. Playing in the same group of three, the three managed a 68 (-2) to finish with a total of 202 (-8). Only one left with that extra motivation that comes from making a shot like that.
A shot from behind placed Thomas Bjorn, whose 66 tied the best round of the day and set up what appears to be a four-way battle for the title. Steve Flesch (67) was three strokes behind with a total of 4 under par, and Steven Alker’s 66 left him at 3 under par, tied with Miguel Ángel Jiménez (68) and Paul Stankowski (67). Further back was Billy Andrade (70), who collapsed in agony after his approach on the 17th hole, but somehow managed to make par there. It was an appropriate image, given all the pain and confusion that the challenging Broadmoor causes, especially when preparing for the conditions of a major championship.It was special to sink the putt on 18, with everyone watching, the anticipation. It was very exciting and very nice not to have to take another shot.
Padraig Harrington
It’s what you do in those last four or five holes that are quite difficult and pose big questions. I’m pretty sure the pin position tomorrow will ask us more questions. That’s where you win the golf tournament.
Thomas Bjorn
No putt illustrated this more than Cink’s on the 16th hole, a par 3. From just off the green, his birdie attempt curved past the hole and about 30 feet from the flag, as the ever-present slope of Cheyenne Mountain took its toll. Even so, he didn’t complain after a round of four birdies and two bogeys on a day full of sun, clouds, wind, rain and even a lightning bolt that took the players off the course for half an hour. And the altitude of 6,000 feet.You can have a 5-foot putt that might break 2 feet. People say, ‘Ah’, when you miss a 4-foot putt, even though you’re aiming for a cup outside the left edge and hoping. But it was fun.
Mark Hensby
Cink and Hensby seemed as though they would end up tied for the lead they had shared with Harrington before the Irishman began to lose momentum in the final nine holes. The three-time major champion needed two chips from the deep rough on the par-3 12th hole and made a double bogey to fall from the lead. Another bogey came on the 15th when he missed a 5-foot par putt and it curved well short of the hole.We made some shots there that we really didn’t know what to expect when the ball was in the air. There was one on a par 3, on the 12th hole, it was a 228-yard shot and I hit an 8-iron. How do you imagine those kinds of things?
Stewart Cink
He prepared the fabulous finish by hitting his tee shot on the 18th into the rough to the left of the fairway, which gave him the only option of getting the ball over the lake and before the green. But he turned a possible bogey into an improbable birdie and secured a place in the final group on Sunday. He will also mark his fourth consecutive day of facing Cink.I certainly lost a little confidence on the green.
Padraig Harrington
Yes, I wanted to be in the last group, and the only way I could be in the last group was by making that birdie. But, just because you want something doesn’t mean you can have it. If it were that easy, we’d all be great.
Padraig Harrington
