Harrington Hopeful of Home Advantage

Padraig Harrington hopes to draw on the inspiration of Royal Portrush’s sell-out crowd as he battles for victory in The Irish Open.

The three-time Major winner, whose last European Tour victory was the 2008 US PGA Championship, goes into the final round two behind Jamie Donaldson in a share of third place.

The other four players in the top five have just two European Tour titles between them – fewer than the number of Majors Harrington has to his name.

But while home advantage, experience and the backing of packed galleries may make Harrington a slight favourite, the 40 year old is taking nothing for granted.

“I would be very determined anyway,” said Harrington, who won this event in 2007. “You've got to use the home crowd in your favour.

“You've got to let them carry you when you need to be carried and don't get carried away by them. Obviously don't allow yourself to be let down in any way in terms of, if you feel like you're letting them down, you have to fight that urge. It has to be managed, but definitely can be a big positive.

“In a perfect world, you would say that there's a home winner, but this ain't no exhibition, I can guarantee you that. There's nobody going out there tomorrow thinking, oh, we'll let the Irish guy win. It doesn't work like that.

“The downside of a hometown crowd, actually there is no downside in the sense of, if you're not playing well, it doesn't matter. You feel disappointed; you feel like you've let people down. But, hey, you're not winning the tournament.

“The upside is you're getting carried along and you are winning the tournament. If somebody’s out in front, you can get some momentum and certainly, I would say it's only a positive in terms of trying to win a tournament, having the home crowd, no doubt about it.

“So would I give it a percentage? I don't know. It's certainly 20 per cent, 25 per cent help on your performance. It's significant.”

EuroPro Tour Returns to Fota Island

The 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour returns to Fota Island Resort next month for the second Audi Cork Irish Masters.

After the unqualified success of the 2011 event, the EuroPro will be back at Fota Island Resort between July 4 and 6 this year.

Fota Island Resort, twice host to the Irish Open, has three championship golf courses set in beautiful parkland scenery, of which The Belvelly is one, which hosted last year’s event, and The Deerpark is another, where this year’s 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour is being held.

A par 71, 6927-yard course which hosted the Irish Open in 2001 and 2002, The Deerpark at Fota Island Resort, with its receptive greens and strategic bunkering, impresses even the most experienced professionals.

The Deerpark course also has one of Ireland’s most famously picturesque golf holes, the lovely 18th island green, a par 5, narrow tree-lined tee shot to the top of the hill and on to the island green in front of the club house.

The ultimate risk and reward hole, this hole was chosen by Padraig Harrington as his favourite 18th hole. "I don't think you can get a more beautiful golf hole,” he said.

“ The setting is gorgeous… you get to the top of the hill and it is all presented to you... the clubhouse, the lake, mature trees, bunkers, shrubs - magnificent. And doesn't everybody like being faced with a downhill shot to a big green!”

“There is little doubt that Fota Island Resort provides one of the best courses on the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour,” said Danny Nickless, Operations Manager for the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour.

“Last season’s event on The Belvelly was incredibly successful and Fota Island Resort proved a big hit with the players. Fota Island Resort will again provide a challenging, scenic and exciting test for our players on The Deerpark this year, and we're sure they will relish returning to the venue in July."

“Audi Cork is proud to continue our sponsorship of the Irish Masters at Fota Island Resort,” said a statement from Audi Cork. “After the huge success and positive feedback from last year’s event, here at Audi Cork we are more than happy to support this prestigious event in the county, and are looking forward to another hugely successful tournament.”

Paul Reed claimed the £10,000 winner’s cheque when Fota Island Resort made its debut on the Tour last summer, and a field of 118 players will take part in the three-day Audi Cork Irish Masters this year, all no doubt eager to follow in his footsteps! With all golfers playing two rounds, a cut is then made and the top 50 players plus ties progress to the decisive final day.

Entry for spectators is free.

Double Costs Clarke Sunday Chance

Darren Clarke moved into contention at Royal Portrush on Saturday after a birdie-eagle start to his third round in an Irish Open that means so much to him as Northern Ireland has not hosted it since 1953.

However  the Open champion ran up a double-bogey seven on the long 17th during the worst of the wind and rain.

"We couldn't reach the fairway - it was a 250-yard carry and we were only hitting it 235," said Clarke, giving a wry smile as conditions eased the moment he finished with a 73 for three under.

After finding the left rough his eight-iron second went only 80 yards, his third found a bunker short of the green and then he three-putted.

"That's Royal Portrush. That's links golf. It's much easier now," he added.

"My goal was maybe to finish eight under and I had chances to do it. It was the conditions I wanted and I didn't capitalise."

At least the 43-year-old was getting more competitive golf under his belt.

He had not made a cut all year until this week and was returning after a month's absence resting a groin strain.

Clarke also has next week's French Open in Paris before his defence of The Open a fortnight later.

Meadow is British Amateur Champion

Photo: LGU

Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow is the new Ladies British Open Amateur champion. She beat Spain's Rocio Sanchez Lobato 4 and 3 in the final at Carnoustie this afternoon with an impressive display of sub-par golf at at the gallope - the match was completed in under three hours.

The 20-year-old from Jordanstown, a student at the University of Alabama and No 20 in the World Amateur Rankings, was three up after only six holes against her 19-year-old Spanish opponent, Rocio Sanchez Lobato from Marbella and the University of Georgia, ranked No 193.

Both players started a shade nervously and took three shots apiece to reach the putting surface at the first hole. But Meadow rammed home her 8ft putt to win the hole with a par 4.

She doubled her lead with another par at the second and after a half in birdies at the third, Meadow surged three up with a birdie 3 at the fourth.

The Spanish girl got on the scoreboard at the fifth, winning that hole to cut her deficit to two. Meadow was bunkered off the tee at the fifth.

But the confident Meadow, with her dad Robert as her caddie, was not to be dented. She won both the sixth and seventh with par figures to be four up on the eighth tee. Lobato was almost out of bounds off the tee at the sixth and completely mishit her third.

Lobato was not ready to throw in the towel, however. She hit back with a birdie 2 at the short eighth to be three down. 

The ninth was halved in pars, leaving Meadow in the strong position of three up at leathe turn.

After a half at the 10th, Meadow went four up with her third birdie of the round at the 11th.

Again her Spanish opponent countered with a winning birdie, at the 12th to pull Stephanie back again to a three-hole lead. Meadow birdied the short 13th - almost holing her eight-iron tee shot - to be four up with five to play.

In a quality finish to an absorbing final, the 14th was halved in birdie 4s and then the 13th in par, leaving Meadow - who estimated she was three or four under par - the winner by 4 and 3.

The victory earns Stephanie a place in the field for the Ricoh Women's British Open at Hoylake in September. 

Donaldson Climbs Top of Leaderboard

Jamie Donaldson, without a European Tour win in 254 starts, led The Irish Open midway through his third round at wet and windy Royal Portrush.

Despite the difficult conditions the 36 year old was in inspired form on the greens, grabbing an eagle and three birdies on the front nine.

There were also two bogeys on his card, but at 12 under par Donaldson was two in front of English pair Anthony Wall and Paul Waring, making his first appearance for over a year following wrist surgery and nerve problems.

Overnight leader Grégory Bourdy had three bogeys in his first six holes and leading Irish hope Padraig Harrington two in seven, but both were still well in touch at nine and eight under respectively.

Open Champion Darren Clarke, having made his first halfway cut of the year, reached seven under with a birdie-eagle start, but by the time he ran up a double bogey seven on the long 17th he was back to three under.

The other two members of Northern Ireland's "Big Three" - US Open winners Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, of course - were also finding it tough to get into contention.

World Number Two McIlroy was six under with three to play and McDowell four under coming down the last.

Donaldson, who played the world amateur team championship with Luke Donald and Paul Casey in 2000, bogeyed the first after resuming two behind.

But a ten footer for eagle on the next was the start of things to come.

He saved par from 20 feet at the fourth, converted another ten foot chance on the next and then holed from 25 feet for another birdie at the short sixth.

His second dropped shot came on the difficult seventh, but as conditions finally improved he chipped to two feet at the 475 yard par five ninth and made that to turn in a superb 33.

Wall, with only one win in 401 European Tour events, did even better with a front nine 32 and made up for a six at the long tenth with a fifth birdie of the round at the next.

Waring bogeyed the first and third, but birdied the second and ninth to keep alive his dream of what would be an incredible victory after such a long enforced lay-off.

He had to seek a medical extension to The European Tour Membership this season after injuring himself during the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in May last year.

Donaldson bogeyed the 412 yard 12th and with Wall grabbing birdie at the long 17th and parring the last they were level at 11 under, one ahead of Bourdy, Foster and Waring.

Harrington was two back with six to play, but McIlroy's 71 left him five back and McDowell's 73 meant he was seven adrift.

Could Padraig Win be Around Portrush Corner

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Padraig Harrington believes a tournament win is "just around the corner", even if it doesn't come at this week's Irish Open.

The 40-year-old Dubliner finds himself well in contention at the halfway stage at Royal Portrush, a second successive 67 leaving him just two shots back of Frenchman Gregory Bourdy.

He has already won the tournament before, triumphing back in 2007, the same year he also clinched his first major at the Open at Carnoustie.

But while he has not tasted success since the 2008 US PGA Championship, Harrington is continuing to remain patient in his quest for further glory.

Buses

"As much as I would dearly love to win, it doesn't have to be this week," he said.

"I know they are around the corner and they tend to come like buses. I'll win more in the future - just be patient and let it happen.

"My three majors were distinctly different. I came out of the pack at Carnoustie (Sergio Garcia had been well clear), then at Birkdale I was the favourite I assume going into the last round.

"Maybe that's the position I'm in now and as professional golfers we have to deal with all of these things all of the time.

"We have to apply ourselves and do our own thing. But I will enjoy the crowds - I will make an effort to let myself be helped by the crowd and to be drawn into it."

The Irish Open is being staged north of the border for the first time since 1953 and has been watched by sell-out crowds.

Support

Graeme McDowell - whose own major triumphs have been instrumental in bringing the event back to Northern Ireland - admits the support shown to the players has been exceptional.

"It sounded like an Open Championship coming down 18," he said after his second round. "The crowds are clapping you from 140 yards short of the green.

"They clapped us all day going on to every green, but particularly the last six when the rain went away and the umbrellas came down.

"We all appreciate it. It's nice to play golf events amongst big crowds."

Clarke Gets into Moving Day

It took Darren Clarke just two holes to leap 29 places in the Irish Open at Royal Portrush - despite the pouring rain.

The Open champion, determined to build on making his first halfway cut of the year, birdied the first and then eagled the 528-yard second.

That burst took him from four under par to seven under and from 39th to joint 10th as the bad weather once again failed to deter fans from packing his home links.

"I'm not here to make up the numbers," Clarke stated after an opening 71 on his return from taking a month off to rest a groin strain.

Then after his second-round 69, he added: "The break was massive. I needed to get away and the injury was a bit of a blessing in disguise.

"I've tried to fulfil my role as Open champion and have been travelling all over the world, but now I feel refreshed."

Clarke has only one more event - next week's French Open - before his defence of The Open a fortnight later and he said: "I'm just not tournament sharp and it's important to have more competitive rounds."

On seven under he was five behind Gregory Bourdy, the French stablemate he had given advice to on Tuesday about how to play a course which is staging Northern Ireland's first Irish Open since 1953.

Bourdy led by one from England's Mark Foster and by two from Dubliner Padraig Harrington, the 2007 winner, Italian Lorenzo Gagli and Foster's compatriot Paul Waring, playing his first event for over a year following wrist surgery.

Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell both resumed five under.