Padraig Harrington birdied the 18th hole Friday to card a 5-under 65, taking a one-shot lead at The ISPS Handa Senior Open. He’s now in prime position to capture his second senior major of the year on the Old Course at Sunningdale.
Defending champion K.J. Choi held the lead late in the second round but stumbled with bogeys on 16 and 17. He finished with a 67, dropping into a tie for second alongside Thomas Bjorn, who fired an impressive 63.
Harrington is chasing history this week. He’s trying to become just the fifth player ever to win both 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. I obviously like these 72-hole ones, and the bigger golf courses suit me.”
That last point matters. The Senior Open is one of five majors on the PGA Tour Champions, which typically features 54-hole tournaments. Harrington already claimed the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado earlier this year, showing his preference for the major championship format.
Bjorn’s stellar round came from an unlikely source: anger. The Dane was furious with himself after squandering a good start in the opening round with three bogeys over his final four holes. He channeled that frustration into four birdies in his first five holes Friday. He added an eagle on the 320-yard 11th and, despite dropping shots on 16 and 17, 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 explained. “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.”
Ernie Els and Justin Leonard sit just two shots back. Leonard is carrying momentum after making the cut in The Open last week at Royal Portrush.