PHOENIX — Padraig Harrington could win by 10 shots this week and it might not matter.
Harrington, second in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship points race, lit up Phoenix Country Club on Saturday, bombing his way around the 6,860-yard, par-71 course to the tune of a 9-under 62 to take a sizable five-shot lead after 54 holes.
“Padraig kicked my ass today, that’s basically what happened,” Alker said.
Harrington has put himself in great position to win the tournament but to win the series title, he needs to win and have Alker finish outside the top five.
The problem for Harrington, who is at 21 under, is that Alker shot a 3-under 68 on Saturday to get to 16 under, and while he’s still five shots back of the tournament lead, he’s still ahead of everyone but Harrington. In other words, as gaudy as Harrington’s lead is now, the steady Alker is now just 18 holes away from his first series championship.
Harrington jump started his round with an eagle on the first hole, just the second eagle the entire field has produced over 54 holes. Starting the day a shot back of Alker, Harrington quickly had the outright lead.
Birdies on Nos. 5 and 7 helped him get to the turn in 32. On the 11th hole, Harrington made birdie to get to 17 under for a three-shot lead. He then poured in a curling left-to-right putt from about 12 feet to get to 18 under. That birdie on No. 12 was made possible after Harrington converted a ridiculous second shot over some tall trees.
Tree trouble? Not for @padraig_h.
Excellent birdie @SchwabCupFinale to build lead. pic.twitter.com/H3XZhmRASH
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) November 12, 2022
Even a stray tee shot on the 14th hole didn’t faze Harrington. Hitting from the rough off the right side from 111 yards out and just a few feet from the perimeter fence, Harrington stuffed his approach, then made yet another birdie putt to be the first one in the field to get to 20 under for the week.
On 18, Harrington had his fifth eagle putt of the day, this one for a 61, but he missed left. Still, his two-foot birdie gave him a 62, the tournament’s best score of the week. It also got him to 21 under. Alker’s birdie on 18 capped a bogey-free 68. In fact, he’s bogey-free through 54 holes.
“I’ve got a lot of chasing to do now to win the tournament, but yeah, get a good night’s sleep and we’ll be all right,” Alker said.
Brian Gay shot a 66 on Saturday and is solo third. For about an hour Saturday, Alex Cejka held the…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golfweek…