Harrington looking good for coveted Irish title
Padraig Harrington overcame a shaky spell to regain pole position in his bid to become the first home winner of the Irish Open in 25 years.
Harrington took a one-shot lead into Saturday's third round after a superb 68 at a windswept Adare Manor yesterday gave him a halfway total of 141, three under par.
And the 35-year-old Dubliner, looking to become the first Irish winner since John O'Leary in 1982, made the perfect start with a birdie on the first to double his lead over playing partner Simon Wakefield.
Wakefield hit straight back with a birdie on the second but promptly bogeyed the next to leave Harrington two clear of the field.
On such a testing course it was never going to be plain sailing, however, and the lead quickly changed hands with a three-shot swing in the space of two holes.
Harrington bogeyed the sixth after the missing the green and dropped another shot at the next, despite donning his waterproofs to play a shot from the edge of the water which runs the length of the hole.
And when Wakefield birdied the seventh the 33-year-old from Staffordshire suddenly led by one on three under par.
The momentum shifted once again just a few minutes later, Harrington holing from 15 feet or par on the 10th as Wakefield's par attempt caught the edge of the hole and spun out.
And when Wakefield suffered the same fate again on the 11th and 12th, while Harrington birdied the par-five 12th, the Irishman was two in front once more.
Wales' Bradley Dredge had set the clubhouse target on one under par after a 69 which included three birdies in the last four holes.
The greatest obstacle to a Harrington victory looked like being the pressure, both self-imposed and external, the world number 12 will be under over the next two days.
"It means a lot to me so I'll be out there today and the next day in a very important situation," Harrington said before teeing off.
"But I'll be absolutely trying to control my emotions and all that sort of stuff so I feel comfortable on the golf course.
"I want to win this very badly, there's no question about that. But it would be a great achievement if I could go out over the next two days knowing that, and yet play and behave like it's a regular event and a normal day out."
Defending champion Thomas Bjorn was seven over for the tournament after a 75 today, while Lee Westwood's bid for back-to-back victories looked to be over.
In contention after an opening 71, the Ryder Cup star struggled to a 77 on Friday and could only manage a 72 today to lie four over.
