McIlroy's Moving Sunday

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Rory McIlroy was left to reflect on what might have been after producing a storming finish to the 115th US Open at Chambers Bay.

McIlroy began the final day eight shots off the lead, but he carved his way through the field as he finally managed to convert the birdie chances that had gone begging over the first 54 holes.

The world No 1 got going with a 20-foot putt for birdie at the second, but he really heated up around the turn as he backed up his sublime long-game with a much-improved performance on the greens.

McIlroy picked up four birdies in six hole before sending the galleries wild with a thrilling 50-foot curling putt for another gain at the 13th, lifting him to six under on the day and two under for the tournament.

But he missed another opportunity from eight feet at the next which took the wind out of his sails, and he failed to get up and down at the 15th after his tee shot rolled off the left-front portion of the green.

The 2011 champion then missed from three feet for par at 17, and a closing five capped a valiant 66 which saw him finish on level par for the week.

"I really thought after holing a long putt on 13, with 16 and 18 coming in, if I could birdie those two holes and get to four under par I had a great chance with the way the greens are getting out there," McIlroy said. "It would have been a number for the guys to really think about.

"When I look back, the last few holes have not been kind to me this week and that's where I will rue some missed opportunities. I feel like it's one that got away. I feel like I've never hit the ball as well in a major championship."

The performance was a solid comeback from back-to-back missed cuts at the BMW PGA Championship and the Irish Open, and he can now look forward to the remainder of the season with confidence restored.

"Of course I take a lot of positives out of this," he added. "The long game is really in good shape. I was really dialled in all week and confident with that. And if I can just get the putting a little bit better and roll a few more in and get a little bit of confidence with that going, I see nothing but positive signs for the next few months."

McIlroy will now have a week off before teeing up in the Scottish Open at Gullane, and he will defend his Open Championship crown at St Andrews the following week.

"I'll go probably to St Andrews the weekend before the Scottish Open or even the Monday, Tuesday of the Scottish Open and play a couple of practice rounds," he said.

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Søren Kjeldsen Wins Irish Open

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Søren Kjeldsen ended a six year winless run on the European Tour and booked qualification to this year's Open with victory in the first hole of a three-man play-off at the Irish Open.

Kjeldsen took a two-shot lead into the final round and was one shot ahead with two to play despite being four over par for the day, as the players battled winds gusting up to 40mph in another round of tricky conditions at Royal County Down.

A three-putt bogey on the 17th left Kjeldsen needing to birdie the 18th to win his fourth European Tour title, but after chipping from one side of the green off the other, he did well to get up and down for a closing 76 to join a play-off alongside Bernd Wiesberger and Eddie Pepperell.

The players returned to the par-five 18th for the first hole of sudden death and Kjeldsen was the only one able to find the green in two, before two-putting for a winning birdie.

Kjeldsen had seen his overnight lead wiped out on the opening hole after he dropped a shot and playing partner Max Kieffer made birdie. Despite bogeying the next, a run of five pars was enough retain Kjeldsen’s advantage as the strong wind sent scores soaring, but slipped back again with a double-bogey at the eighth.

The Dane two-putted the par-five 12th for his first birdie of the day, but missed the chance to move two clear when he three-putted the 14th for bogey.

Wiesberger recovered from a dropped shot at the 15th to stay within one of the lead by holing a long putt from over the 16th green, as Pepperell closed his blemish-free round to set the clubhouse target at two-under.

The Englishman, beginning the day seven shots adrift, crucially saved par on the 17th after finding a fairway bunker off the tee, but twice tangled with heavy rough on the 18th and had to settle for a par five.

“I played really well, so I have to credit my putting for no bogeys,” Pepperell told Sky Sports 4. “I think all four days have been tough, so whilst today was very difficult it didn’t feel all that different to what we’d played in the first three days.

“I said to myself anything in the 60s is a really good score, and once I got to two under I kept trying to tell myself the same thing.”

While Carbera-Bello’s hopes ended with dropped shots at the 15th and last, Wiesberger saw an eight-foot birdie chance at the 18th to move to three under slip millimetres wide of the cup.

That left Kjeldsen just needing to par the last two holes to take the title, but he three-putted the 17th and needed to nudge in a four-footer at the last.

Danny Willett had set the early clubhouse target with a three-under 68 to end level par for the week alongside Andy Sullivan, finishing in style with a chip-in eagle from the right-side of the green.

The group a further shot behind included Saturday’s course record breaker Max Kieffer, who closed the week with a six-over 78, with Matt Fitzpatrick posting his first top-ten finish since January.

Rickie Fowler’s Irish adventure ended in a tie for 30th, with Graeme McDowell posting back-to-back birdies late in his round to also finish seven over.

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Padraig Ready to Valspar It

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Padraig Harrington returns to action for the first time since his dramatic victory in the Honda Classic in this week’s Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club.

Harrington’s first win on a major worldwide tour since the 2008 USPGA Championship secured his return to the US Masters next month and lifted him back inside the world’s top 100, but did not get the Dubliner a place in the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral.

That at least allowed the 43-year-old three-time major winner the time to reflect on his victory, which came in a play-off with American rookie Daniel Berger after a double bogey on the 71st hole.

“It feels great to have won and now that I have done so I have allowed myself to think of the things that come with it, the Masters, the Players, WGC-Bridgestone and I am exempt for three years on the PGA Tour, but above all that the confidence a win brings,” Harrington explained this week.

“It has been tough at times but the last couple of months, with my two wins (he won in Indonesia in December), have made it worthwhile.

“I never doubted myself, I know a lot of people did and many asked me why I would do things differently, but then that wouldn’t be me.

“I don’t feel any different now that I have won, as I always felt that the win was around the corner.

“Little did I know that it was going to be a nearly seven-year corner and then, like buses, two come along one after the other.

“I feel that I have found the mental solution that I have been searching for and that I will kick on from here. I know that it won’t work all of the time, but that some of the time it is good enough.”

Harrington has been paired with world number two Jordan Spieth and former Masters champion Adam Scott for the first two rounds, Scott finishing joint fourth in the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Sunday in his first start of the season. Fellow AustralianJohn Senden is the defending champion.

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Padraig's Long Road from Johor to Jakarta

Asian Tour

Padraig Harrington secured a thrilling victory at the US$750,000 BANK BRI Indonesia Open after defeating a battling Thanyakon Khrongpha of Thailand by two shots on Sunday.

The three-time Major champion held a four-shot lead at the start of the final round but stumbled at the turn in 37 as Thanyakon birdied three in his opening five holes to lead by two shots after nine holes.

Harrington clawed his way back up after a two-hour rain suspension to tie with Thanyakon heading into the 18th hole where drama ensued at the Damai Indah Golf, PIK Course.

Under immense pressure to win his first Asian Tour title, the 24-year-old Thai hit his second shot into the water for a double bogey as Harrington sealed the win with a 15-foot par putt after taking a penalty drop when his tee shot landed on the edge of the hazard.

Harrington, who signed for an even-par 71 and a winning total of 16-under-par 268 said, “Winning is a good habit to have. It gives you a lot of confidence and I need that confidence. I didn’t start too well but I came through and I got the win. This win brings a lot of confidence to my game and hopefully it will show up next year.”

“I had a bad break on the 18th hole when I hit my tee shot and it rolled to the edge of the hazard. I was about to chip my ball sideways to the fairway but when Thanyakon hit it into the water, there was no point to take a chance. So I went back to the fairway and hit my six iron for my best shot of the week,” said Harrington.

After completing five holes in his third round on Sunday morning, Harrington opened his final round campaign with a bogey before dropping two shots on the par three seventh hole. He admits that the rain delay after nine holes helped him recover.

“I hit a few bad shots earlier on and I hit a careless shot on the seventh hole. The biggest thing for me at that stage was that I was really praying for a rain delay. My momentum was gone but Thanyakon was flying and he didn’t miss a shot,” explained Harrington.

“It was very unlucky for Thanyakon because of that rain delay. It was unfortunate but he can be very proud with how he played all the way through. He is really impressive. He looks like a player to watch for in the future,” added the Irishman, whose last win in a full field tournament was in Johor in 2010.

A dejected Thanyakon rued the missed opportunity to win his first Asian Tour title after struggling to hold his nerve on the 18th hole.

“It was a great final round from me but I was under so much pressure on the last hole. I’m still happy with how I played. The rain delay stopped my momentum. It wasn’t good. The pressure made me scared,” said the young Thai, who posted a 69.

David Lipsky of the United States extended his Order of Merit lead by slightly over US$133,518 after finishing sixth while Merit runner-up Anirban Lahiri of India stumbled to tied 15th place after closing with a triple bogey.

“Looks like I increased my lead and I’m feeling pretty good about that. The goal was to play solid here. Step one done and now I’ll move on to the Thailand Golf Championship and see what I can do there,” said Lipsky, who won the Omega European Masters in Switzerland in September.

Lahiri will have much to play for in the remaining two Asian Tour events. “I got a lot to play for. David has a good lead and I need two solid results in the last two events. I think I’m playing well enough but I got to put it together over four rounds. I haven’t done that in these last two weeks.”

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Harrington Extends Lead Ahead of Delay

Asian Tour

Padraig Harrington held a commanding five-shot lead at the weather interrupted BANK BRI Indonesia Open before the third round was abandoned on Saturday.

The three-time Major winner was 16-under through 13 holes before play was called off at the Damai Indah Golf, PIK course. He will return on Sunday at 6.40am alongside 44 other players to complete the round.

Playing in the same group as Harrington, Australia’s Nathan Holman was a distant five shots back while co-overnight leader Thanyakon Khrongpha of Thailand struggled with his driver and was 10-under through 13 holes.

Local hope George Gandranata continued his fine run at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event where he sits on eight-under after playing 16 holes.

Harrington, who is aiming to win his first title since 2012, hopes to stay positive as he prepares for a 23-hole marathon finale on Sunday.

“I was doing nicely. I got a good start and holed a couple of putts at the right time. I didn’t do too many mistakes but it is always difficult when you have the lead. You are a little bit cautious and it is something which I have to deal with.

“The last thing I want to do is go out there and be negative because that gives the rest of the field a chance. It is an awkward position to be in. It is never easy to lead. It is always easy to chase,” said Harrington, who marked his card with four birdies.

Holman struggled to repeat his second round heroics where he posted a brilliant 63. The Australian needs a huge result this week to have a chance of retaining his Asian Tour card for the 2015 season.

“I didn’t have real momentum going. The suspension didn’t really affect anything. Obviously you can learn quite a bit from Padraig Harrington and it has been really nice playing with him. Hope to get a good night’s sleep and see what happens tomorrow,” said Holman, ranked 95th on the Merit list.

Thanyakon, who is chasing for a first Asian Tour win, rued poor tee shots as he stumbled to four bogeys against two birdies. He gave himself a lifeline when he birdied the 13th hole before play was called off for the day.

“I was hitting my driver to the left today. It was very disappointing and I couldn’t recover from that. It really hurt my score. I was also struggling to judge the speed of the greens. Hopefully I can bounce back,” said the 24-year-old Thai.

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Harrington Shares Bank BRI Lead

Padraig Harrington of Ireland struggled to take advantage of the calm morning conditions on Saturday as he tied for the second round lead with Thanyakon Khrongpha at the BANK BRI Indonesia Open.

The three-time Major winner was five-under through 12-holes on Friday which included an opening eagle before the halfway stage of the US$750,000 Asian Tour event was suspended due to inclement weather.

With a 4.50am morning call, Harrington returned to the Damai Indah Golf, PIK Course to finish with six straight pars for a 12-under-par 130 total which matched Thanyakon’s efforts yesterday.

“It was nice conditions and obviously I would like to make a few birdies this morning. But that happens and thankfully it was only six holes. Hopefully I will hit it a bit closer and make a few putts in the afternoon,” said Harrington.

Nathan Holman of Australia was a further two shots back following an impressive 63 while Jarin Todd after matching Thanyakon’s efforts of 63, while Scott Hend and Jarin Todd of the United States shot identical 64s for a 133 total.

The halfway cut was set at one-over-par 143 with a total of 72 players qualifying for the weekend rounds. Title holder Gaganjeet Bhullar crashed out from the event after finishing two shots over the mark.

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Harrington Hunting at Sanderson Farms

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Padraig Harrington finished five strokes off the pace in the Sanderson Farms Championship,Country Club of Jackson, in a group of 17 players who shot 70 in their first rounds.

The three time major winner continues his bid to move up the world rankings as 40 of the world’s top 50 players are contesting the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai. Currently being led by Graeme McDowell.

The world number 340 Harrington is one of nine former Major champions in the field at Jackson Country Club in Mississippi

Harrington, who reached a career-high third in the world six months after winning his third Major title in the 2008 US PGA Championship bust has since lost his Tour card and is playing on invitations.

Sebastian Cappelen leads after carding a seven under par 65 for the outright lead.

With 40 of the World’s top 50 players competing at the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, it was expected that one of the nine former champions in the field would make their mark, but it is the 24-year-old who is setting the pace. Cappelen began with a bogey, but made eight birdies, shooting five under on the front nine and finished with a tricky par to finish two clear of the rest.

“I’m so happy, I couldn’t be happier,” Cappelen, told the Golf Channel.

“I came here just trying to get a new experience, trying to get a feel for how it feels to play on the real tour.

“I had a great time out there today and hit a lot of great shots. It was fun. I’ll try to just keep that going, take that with me into tomorrow.”

American pair Robert Streb and Scott Pinckney as well as Canadian Nick Taylor are on five under, with Streb’s bogey at the last a frustrating end to what had been up to then, a blemish-free round. Pinckney dropped shots at eight and 17, following birdies from 14 through 16, while Taylor did not register a bogey.

Nine players, including David Duval and Ben Curtis are a further shot back on four under par, while defending champion Woody Austin shot a 70.

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Harrington a Hit in Montreux

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Padraig Harrington opted for all-out attack in the Barracuda Championship with aggression off the tee at Montreux, that surged Dublin up the leaderboard on Friday,

A brilliant chip-in eagle three from a bunker at the third and birdies at five and nine ensured the Dubliner finished the second day in Reno seven Stableford points to the good, boosting his tally for 36 holes to 17.

The damage caused by a couple of shuddering double-bogeys on the par-three 11th, where he hit his tee shot left, and the par-four 17th, where he pulled his drive, was completely wiped out.

Including a couple of early birdies at 12 and 13, Harrington proved aggression certainly pays under the modified Stableford scoring system which offers two points for each birdie and five for an eagle, while just one is deducted for bogey and three for double-bogey.

The 42-year-old went into the weekend on the fringes of the top-10 and with his morale high. Harrington was nine points behind runaway early clubhouse leader Nick Watney, but got within two birdies (or four points) of second halfway throigh his round.

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