Battling Padraig Harrington remains on course for Dunhill treble

Oct 5 2008 Gordon Waddell at the Dunhill

PADRAIG HARRINGTON battled brilliantly to keep his bid for a third Dunhill title on course on a day when the links laid waste to the field.

Only six pros out of 167 managed to break par as the wind and rain turned Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and the Old Course into battle grounds between man and the big man upstairs.

But after being brutally downed on the front nine when a run of four bogeys in five holes threatened to derail the Irishman's Order of Merit chances, as well as his hopes of the half-million pound haul on offer here, this year's double major winner fought back to claim a deserved draw with the elements.

His 74 round Carnoustie left him in a group of four on four under, two behind joint leaders Martin Kaymer and Jarmo Sandelin and one adrift of Swede Magnus Carlsson.

And afterwards, as he begged for a cappuccino in the press room to stave off hypothermia, he admitted two things kept him going.

His team ethic - he and racing magnate partner JP McManus scraped into the top 20 needed to get them to final day - and the memories of his Open triumph around the same track last summer were his inspiration.

He said: "That first six is as hard as we'll play all year long. I hit a driver on the second hole and it only went 195 yards. I hit a four iron 137 yards on the fourth.

"Yet on the third Robert Karlsson beside me hit a seven iron 240 - and it was only a bunker that stopped it going further.

"It's one of my traits, though, digging deep like that - I work hard at it. My caddy reminds me when things are going south that I need to stick in.

"And winning the Open here helped me a lot on the back nine. Every hole I was thinking 'I did this, I got this break here, I holed this putt there'."

A win round the Old Course today to match his triumphs in 2002 and 2006 would all but secure Harrington's second Order of Merit.

But nearest rivals Lee Westwood and Robert Karlsson are still lurking just two shots and one shot behind him respectively.

Harrington said: "It's important to me to win it and I know if I win this week it gives me a great opportunity."

The Irishman certainly won't get it all his own way though.

Westwood said: "I was six over after six and hadn't done a lot wrong but I dug in and was three under for the next six. I've given myself a chance."

And German kid Kaymer, with two titles to his name already this season, didn't wear the look of a man worried about who was on his shoulder.

The 23-year-old said: "It's great Padraig is up there - I wish I was playing with him on the last day.

"But I'm happy where I am - that was the toughest day, on the toughest course, in the toughest weather. To be level par after nine holes was a highlight."

The weather took its fair share of victims though.

Friday's hero, Irish hope Rory McIlroy, fell from joint second to 18th with a 78 round Kingsbarns while Soren Hansen's 77 at Carnoustie left him just a shot better off - although he is still well-placed, within four shots of the lead.

McIlroy admitted: "We were getting blown all over the place - you were having to aim into the rubbish just to get it on the fairway.

"But I love the Old Course. I always play well there and if I can get a fast start I have a chance."