Padraig Harrington shoots bogey-free 66 to take one-shot lead at Senior Open
Defending champion K.J. Choi had the lead late in the second round on the Old Course at Sunningdale until he took bogeys on the 16 and 17th. Choi had to settle for a 67 and was one shot behind along with Thomas Bjorn, who had a 63.
Harrington is trying to become the fifth player to win The Open and The Senior Open.
'Where I should make a score I scored, and then I got in trouble on plenty of other holes,' Harrington said. 'Hit some recovery shots and managed my game, but I never showed much confidence out there at all in my swing at all. I obviously like these 72-hole ones, and the bigger golf courses suit me.'
The Senior Open is the fifth major on the PGA Tour Champions. The regular tournaments are 54 holes. Harrington won the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado.
Bjorn was an angry Dane on Friday and it worked in his favor. He was furious with himself for ruining a good start in the opening round with three bogeys over the last four holes. He channeled that frustration into four birdies in five holes at the start. He made eagle on the 320-yard 11th. And after dropping shots on the 16th and 17th holes, he finished with a birdie.
'Just got out here in that mode of I know I played well yesterday and I was hitting the ball well. I knew I was playing well, but I was just angry,' Bjorn said. 'Wanted to get off to a start and hit a great shot on 2, which it's not like a given birdie, and then I hit some good shots from there.
'The first 12 holes was just an absolute joy.'
Among those two shots behind were Ernie Els and Justin Leonard, who made the cut in The Open last week at Royal Portrush.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
31 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Harrington: Senior Open triumph is 'euphoric'
Padraig Harrington calls his break through at The Senior Open "euphoric" and why he never looked at the leaderboard to stay true to his game despite some "turmoil" in his own head.
New York Times
31 minutes ago
- New York Times
Chargers, OT Rashawn Slater agree to 4-year, $114 million extension: Source
The Los Angeles Chargers and star left tackle Rashawn Slater have agreed to terms on a four-year extension for $114 million, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. The deal includes a record $92 million in guaranteed money and makes Slater the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. ESPN was first to report the deal. Advertisement Slater was entering the final year of his rookie deal, the fifth-year option that the Chargers picked up in May 2204. He was due to make $19.04 million on that fifth-year option in 2205. The Chargers drafted Slater out of Northwestern with the No. 13 pick in 2021. Slater quickly emerged as one of the best left tackles in the league, earning second-team All-Pro honors as a rookie. He battled injuries in his second and third seasons. In 2022, Slater tore his bicep in the third game of the season and missed the rest of the year. The Chargers made the playoffs that season. Slater was designated to return from injured reserve in the week leading up to the Chargers' first-round matchup at the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he was not activated for the eventual season-ending loss. Chargers T Rashawn Slater has reset the market for offensive lineman, agreeing to a four-year, $114 million extension that includes $92 million guaranteed, sources tell me and @danielrpopper. Slater's $28.5M average annual salary is a new record for the position. — Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) July 27, 2025 In 2023, Slater battled multiple ankle injuries that affected his play over the first half of the season. He still started all 17 games and found his elite form in the second half, particularly in pass protection. In 2024, he injured his pectoral in a Week 3 game at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Slater was knocked out of that game and missed the following week's loss to Kansas City Chiefs. But he returned for the next game and played the rest of the season. Slater earned his second Pro Bowl nod last season. The injury history was potentially a factor in negotiations. At the same time, the proof is on the tape: Even when battling through injuries, Slater is one of the premier pass protectors in football. And keeping quarterback Justin Herbert clean must be a priority as the Chargers try to build a Super Bowl contender. Advertisement Coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz joined the Chargers in February of last year. They picked up Slater's fifth-year option without seeing him play a down. Even though Slater was eligible for extension after the 2023 season, negotiations did not pick up until after the 2024 campaign. Slater used another year to see the tackle market continue to elevate. The Chargers got to see a full season of Slater in the Harbaugh program. Slater proved himself to the new regime. At minicamp earlier this offseason, Harbaugh included Slater in his group of 'nine elite guys who train.' With Slater signing his extension, the Chargers now have one of the best tackle duos in the league under control for the foreseeable future. The Chargers drafted Joe Alt in the first round last year, and he had an encouraging rookie season. Alt has three more years remaining on his rookie deal, and the Chargers can also pick up his fifth-year in 2028. Slater skipped voluntary organized team activities in late May and early June to maintain his training schedule in Dallas. He was present for the team's mandatory minicamp, a sign that the once-tense negotiations had reached a more promising stage. 'Love ball,' Slater said then. 'Love this team.' (Photo of Justin Herbert and Rashawn Slater: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
NBC Sports
a day ago
- NBC Sports
Padraig Harrington leads fellow Open champ Justin Leonard at Senior Open
Watch highlights from third-round action of the ISPS Handa Senior Open from the Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire, England. BERKSHIRE, England — Padraig Harrington birdied the final hole Saturday for another 5-under 65 for a two-shot lead over Justin Leonard going into the final round of The Senior Open as the Irishman goes for his second senior major of the year. Harrington was among four players who had at least a share of the lead at some point during the round on the Old Course at Sunningdale. He seized the lead with birdies on the 13th and 14th hole, and a closing birdie added to his slight lead. Harrington was at 13-under 197. He has been in the United Kingdom the last three weeks for links golf, starting with the Scottish Open. He won the U.S. Senior Open in Colorado a month ago. Leonard, the only PGA Tour Champions player to make the cut last week in The Open at Royal Portrush, also had a second straight 65. Thomas Bjorn had a 67 and was three shots behind. Harrington and Leonard are past Open champions — Leonard at Royal Troon in 1997, Harrington winning the first of two claret jugs a decade later at Carnoustie (2007) and Royal Birkdale (2008). Either one can become the fifth player to win The Open and Senior Open, a feat last accomplished by Darren Clarke in 2022. Steven Alker, a two-time Charles Schwab Cup winner who opened with a 73, tried to get back in the game. He shot 66 and was among four players at 8-under 202, five shots behind. The winner is exempt for the 154th Open next year at Royal Birkdale.
