He may be 52, but Padraig Harrington showed he can still mix it with the young guns on the PGA Tour and will do anything to try and keep up – including playing a Seve Ballesteros-inspired shot off his knees.
Harrington claimed victory on the PGA Tour Champions last week, but after beating the seniors was back on the regular PGA Tour on Thursday taking part in the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
Despite his advancing years he’s still working on upping his swing speed and never scared of taking on risky or unorthodox shots – and when he pulled his drive on the 16th at Memorial Park he had to use all of his skill to escape.
And Harrington being Harrington, he immediately took to Instagram after his round to explain his choice of shot.
“Use a wood if possible to do this as the heel doesn’t snag as much and you don’t have a shank to worry about #paddysgolftips,” he wrote in response to the PGA Tour video.
The Irishman’s drive, which he smashed 326 yards by the way, went miles left and ended up under a tree, which is when he pulled out the Seve-inspired shot off his knees to escape.
With little fuss, Harrington stabbed a fairway wood at the ball and advanced it 120 yards, a brave play in itself given that water lurked across the other side of the fairway where he was aiming.
Staying dry, just about, Harrington then hit a 210-yard iron shot over more water and two-putted for a crazy par five.
Harrington finished on level par for the day after four bogeys and four birdies, which left him in T54 and six shots off the lead.
It looks too far back already for Harrington to add his name to the short list of four players ever to have won on the PGA Tour Champions and regular PGA Tour in the same season.
But it showed he can still mix it on the PGA Tour, matching the first rounds of the likes of Wyndham Clark, Sahith Theegala and Cameron Champ.
His recovery shot proved he’s still got the artistry and, at his age, the flexibility to be able to pull off shots many a PGA Tour pro wouldn’t even see, let alone attempt.
What will also please Harrington is his driving distances are right up there – his 326-yard effort, although wayward, was his longest of the day and the 48th longest of anyone in the entire field on Thursday.
Harrington also ended day one in 28th in the field in overall driving…
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